Stoned ?

Some time ago Huttonian and the wife stumbled (and I use the term advisedly) over an apparent cromlech or ancient tomb in Rostrevor Forest in our way up to the well known Cloughmore stone. I posted this on a local website and caused some bafflement as no one else seemed to know anything about this ancient construction and indeed there was speculation that it was a natural formation rather than man made. The correspondence and other images can be seen here Now a comment on the website seems to provide the provenance for our find:

O S Memoirs Vol 3 Oct 1836 : Giant's Grave or Cromlech.

"The cromlech of Kilfeaghan consists of a large block of granite of irregular form, 6 and a half feet thick at the upper end and 4 feet thick at the lower end, supported to the south by 2 large stones or pillars partly buried in the stones of a cairn which surrounds the cromlech. It has been evacuated a little within a few years. Form of chamber : plan dimensions 7, 4 and a half and 3 feet. Upper surface of top stone : plan dimensions 9 and a half and 8 and three-quarter feet. The cairn commences 8 yards to the north of the upper part of the cromlech and ends 25 yards to the south of the upper part of it, being 10 yards broad at the upper part, coming in at right angles at the lower part of the cromlech and then being 4 yards broad. It is elevated 2 and a half feet above the surface of the ground"

Although I had been up the old path to Cloughmore stone a number of times, I never heard anyone mention this cromlech. The O S described Cloughmore stone in 5 lines but required 20 lines for this monument. It would appear to be a much more interesting item than the big stone. You may wonder how ancient people constructed it at that elevation, even were they to obtain the top stone nearby. Stanley

Someone has suggested that if this item really is interesting archaeologically speaking it should be named after its discoverer. So how about abandoning the rather prosiac The cromlech of Kilfeaghan in favour of 'Petrus Huttonius rarus' And who might the giant be I hear you ask? Could it be the daddy of all Big Fellas?

Finn Mc.Cool?

How McCool is that?

Labels: Cloughmore Stone Cromlech of Killfeaghan, Finn McCool, Tostrevor Forest

  ¶ 12:32 PM