Ogham Stone - Ballintaggart VI (Baile ant Sagairt), Co. Kerry

myminifactory

An ancient site sits atop a prominent hill between Dingle Harbour and Trabeg. A church once stood within its circular enclosure, but little is known about it today. Children were still being buried here in the mid-19th century, according to Cuppage et al (1986). The current stone wall, approximately 30m in diameter, was built by a landlord before 1847 and represents only a portion of the original site. Devane (2001) records nine ogham stones gathered at this location, which resemble those found six miles away at Minard storm beach. These stones are mostly oval and were likely water-rolled into their current shape. Eight of the nine stones now sit in a circle within the stone wall, with the ninth placed centrally. The interior of the enclosure also features low mounds and upright grave markers, creating a confusing landscape. A tenth ogham stone was discovered in the 1980s but only rises 24cm above the ground. One of these sandstone stones measures 1.07m x 0.41m x 0.20m (based on Macalister's measurements). Its upper face bears an unusual cross motif, with the ends of its side arms taking the shape of a trident or three-pronged fork. A short cross-bar below the end of the upper arm gives the impression of a small cross. The stone has inscriptions on two sides, with a cross design between them. The lettering is worn and pocked but remains in fair condition. The two lines of writing are separate and independent, with one side featuring bolder and broader scores than the other. This could be due to more extensive weathering on one side of the stone. The inscriptions read TRIA MAQA MAILAGNI / CURCITTI. Translation reveals 'of the three sons of Maílagnas' and 'of Cuircthe.' This inscription is notable for showing no trace of vowel affection, a feature that may date it to the first half or early second half of the fifth century (McManus 1991). The genative plural TRIA MAQA MAILAGNI appears in this inscription, which might be expected to read TRIAM MAQAM MAILAGNI. However, as Ogam does not regularly use double consonants, the reading need not postdate the transfer of a final nasal across word boundaries (McManus 1991). Curiously, CURCITTI appears on the other side of the stone and seems unrelated to TRIA MAQA MAILAGNI in terms of execution and writing direction.