Ballintaggart / Baile an tSagairt
Ogham stones
A few kilometres east of Dingle town in Ballintaggart townland is the site of a possible 5th century monastery. There is no visible trace of any church or buildings, only the scattered remains of an old graveyard have survived, both inside and outside the circular enclosure. The graveyard was in use as a burial site for unbaptised children up until the 1930s. Arranged in a circle inside the enclosure are eight pulvinar (water-rolled) ogham stones, with a fourth lying in the centre of the circle. Niall Kenny suggests these ogham stones, which were all found within the vicinity of the site, were sourced from the storm beach at nearby Minard. Niall also the suggests the similarly shaped red sandstone ogham stones at Lugnagappul, Kinard and Colaste Ide were also sourced from Minard Beach.
The enclosure, pictured above, was built sometime before 1847. It stands on the top of a a small hillock on farmland. You will need to walk across the farmland and climb the stile to access the enclosure. I will use there National Monuments number to identify the ogham stones.
KE 053-033005- this stone is just under a metre in length and the inscription is in excellent condition. It bears the X character. A transliteration of the inscription reads; AKEVRITTI, which is presumed to be a personal name.
KE 053-033006- this stone is just over a metre in length and bears an inscription reading up the left side across the top and down the right hand side, it reads; MAQQI-IRRI-K(O)I-MAQQI-MUCCOI-DOVVINIAS. This has been translated as Maclair son of the descendent of Duibne. Duibne is a tribe or sept from the Dingle Peninsula. The stone also bears a plain equal armed cross, with an expanded terminal on one side, incised on the upright face.
KE 053-033007- Another stone just under a metre in length. The inscription is pocked on the left and across the top. It reads; DOVETI -MAQQI-CATTINI possibly meaning of Duibthe son of Caitne. The name Caitne, is also believed to be inscribed on the Ballinrannig ogham stone.
KE 053-033008-The inscription on this stone is in excellent condition and reads: SUVALLOS-MAQ(QI)-DUCOVAROS. It has been suggested this stone may be dated to the 5th century.
KE 053-033009- This is probably the longest of all the ogham stones at Ballintaggart. The pocked inscription goes up the left across the top and down the right hand side of the stone, it reads: MAQI-DECCEDA-MAQI-GLASICONAS.
KE 053-033010- As you can see from the images most of the surface of each stone is covered in lichen. It doesn't help when viewing the inscriptions, but it does help to preserve them. This stone bears an unusual cross on the upper surface, the ends of each arm form a three pronged fork or trident. The upper arm also bears the shape of a cross. the ogham inscription reads; TRIA MAQA MAILAGNI CURCITTI translated to mean 'of the three sons of Máelán' 'of Cuircthe'
KE 053-033011-
KE 053-033012-
KE 053-033013-
Situated:
Discovery Map 71: V 4645 9966. Last visit June 2021.
Longitude: 10° 24' 35.6" W
Latitude: 52° 07' 40.1" N
Photos: José Gutiérrez.
Ref: Kenny, Niall. “Dingle’s Minard Beach.” Archaeology Ireland, vol. 20, no. 4, 2006.
Cuppage, J. Archaeological Survey of the Dingle Peninsula.
Websites: https://ogham.celt.dias.ie