Stone Rows and Rock Art / Chloiche Straitheanna agus Carraig Ealaíonta

Kealduff Upper, Co. Kerry

Rock art on a boulder at Kealduff Upper, Co. Kerry

Photo by Con Manning. Courtesy of Con Brogan

Kealduff Upper, Co. Kerry
Photo by Con Manning. Courtesy of Con Brogan

Kealduff Upper, Co. Kerry

Rock art on a boulder at Kealduff Upper, Co. Kerry

Photo by Con Manning. Courtesy of Con Brogan

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Standing stones can also be found in pairs or in rows of three or more closely set stones. These latter are often aligned on a point such as a gap in the hills where the sun or moon rises or sets at important points in the year. Stone rows, like the stone circles, were used for ceremonial purposes during the Bronze Age.
Certain earth-fast boulders or outcrops of rock in some parts of the country were carved with cup-and circle motifs, concentric circles and other designs. Not being part of a built structure, these are difficult to date and while they were formerly believed to belong to the Bronze Age, arguments for a Neolithic date have more recently been put forward.

Maughanasilly, Co. Cork

This stone row at Maughanasilly, Co. Cork, contains five stones and was constructed around 1500 BC

Courtesy of Con Brogan

Maughanasilly, Co. Cork
Courtesy of Con Brogan

Maughanasilly, Co. Cork

This stone row at Maughanasilly, Co. Cork, contains five stones and was constructed around 1500 BC

Courtesy of Con Brogan

Enlarge image

Ás Gaeilge:

Bíonn péirí cloch nó sraitheanna de thrí chloch nó níos mó le feiceáil ina seasamh an-ghar dá chéile. Is minic a bhíonn na sraitheanna ailínithe in áit cosúil le bearna sna cnoic mar a n-éiríonn nó mar a dtéann an ghrian nó an ghealach faoi ag amanta tábhachtacha sa bhliain. Cosúil le ciorcail chloch, bhaintí feidhm dheasghnách as sraitheanna cloch i rith na Cré- Umhaoise.
I gceantair áirithe sa tír, bíonn dearadh cupáin-agus-ciorcail, ciorcail chomhlárnacha agus dearthaí eile le feiceáil greanta i  mulláin atá sáinnithe sa talamh nó i bhfreagairtí carraigeacha. As siocair nach bhfuil siad mar chuid de struchtúr tógtha, bíonn sé deacair dáta a lua leo. Mheastaí gur bhain siad leis an gCré-Umhaois ach tá argóintí á gcur chun tosaigh le déanaí a cheanglaíonn leis an Aois Neoiliotach iad.