Stone Circle

In flat pasture, on N side of Bride River valley. Circle incomplete; may have consisted of nine stones. Seven erect stones along N perimeter remain; these include probable axial stone and entrance stones. Orthostats are 0.9m to 1.5m, L 0.4m to 0.8m T and 0.8m to 1.4m H. Internal measurement along main axis, aligned NE-SW, is 9.8m. (Ó Nualláin 1984a, 17-8, no. 19) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 3: Mid Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

Likely dating to the Neolithic or early Bronze Age, the stone circle at Knocknaneirk may have been used for ritual or ceremonial purposes, possibly aligned with seasonal or astronomical events. The axial and entrance stones suggest a structured approach to access and orientation, common in ritual landscapes of the period.