Stone head in Drumee

Incorporated in the upper courses of the external face of the W wall of a ruined stone building which forms part of a cattle pen, is a triangular sandstone slab (Wth at base 0.54m; T 0.15m; H 0.3m) with a carving of a human head in raised relief on one side. The head (Wth 0.16m; H 0.16m) has a flat top, broad angular cheeks and a flattened chin. The oval heavy-browed eyes are the most prominent facial features flanking a clearly defined almost triangular nose. The mouth is a barely discernible short horizontal groove. The provenance and date of this carving are unknown. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008

Likely dating to the early medieval period, the stone head may represent a protective or symbolic figure associated with the cattle pen or local landscape. Such carvings are sometimes linked to folklore or territorial markers in rural settings.