Gortavoher, Bullaun Stone

This is a very beautiful and impressive bullaun stone in the Glen of Aherlow in the townland of Gortavoher.

Like most bullaun stones it is near a religious site with an ecclesiastical enclosure about 150m to the north.  

From archaeology.ie

"On the E bank of a small stream on the S side of the main road through the Glen of Aherlow, in pasture. A roughly circular boulder (dims. 1m x 1.1m; H 0.33m) of red sandstone with quartz inclusions, with three water-filled circular depressions (dims. 0.27m x 0.34m; D 0.19m; 0.26m x 0.26m; D 0.18m; 0.24m x 0.31m; D 0.2m) and three other depressions at the edge of the boulder (0.24m x 0.26m; D 0.16m; 0.26m x 0.27m; D 0.22m; 0.22m x 0.28m; D 0.05m), the latter edges are worn where they meet the edge of the boulder, particularly the two deepest hollows. According to local tradition the bullaun has wart curing properties. The bullaun currently rests on a stone plinth with a low back wall constructed of small rounded river stones surmounted by small stones. The floor of the structure slopes upwards towards the back and is studded with small stones embedded in concrete. According to Weir (1980, 214) the underside of the boulder has two 'less perfect bullauns'and the stone is known locally as 'The Blessed Stone'."

You can't make it out very well in the photos but there is also a cross inscribed in the centre of it and you can see if clearly here on Philip Powell's website.  

You can see how close it is to the road in this one.

Here is some folklore on duchas.ie (Thanks to Rhiannon for transcribing).

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922276/4866523/5054037

"The following story was told by Mrs M Harrington who resides about one hundred yards from Ballagh School. She is about 70 years of age. The story is about a large stone which now lies at the side of the Bansha Galbally road in the townsland of Gortavoher. This rather famous stone has a cross carved on it and at the foot of the cross are two small hollows. The old people say that a saint knelt there and that these hollows are the imprints of his knees.
No matter how dry the weather is there some amount of water in these hollows.
"A farmer living in the vicinity of the stone once used to fence a gap in a ditch which had got broken down. He succeeded in this but in the morning when he went out he was amazed to see the stone back in its former place beside the road. He never found out who replaced the stone in its original position."

For anyone with an interest in Bullaun's a good article to look at it is "Bedrocks and Bullauns, more than one use for a mortar" by Brian Dolan for some up to date thinking on the subject.

View of the Galtees to the south from Gortavoher