Fiddlers Rock, Glenafelly in Co. Offaly

By the author

A recent post about a stone chair in Co. Limerick made be recall a visit to Fiddlers Rock at Glenafelly in Co. Offaly.

I first read about this rock in John Feehan's book - The Landscape of Slieve Bloom.

https://www.offalyhistory.com/shop/books/the-landscape-of-slieve-bloom

There isn't a whole pile of folklore that I am aware of regarding it other than than its association with a fiddler.

It is marked on coillte's map for the Glenafelly loop walk.

https://www.coillte.ie/site/glenafelly/

Stone chairs like this can often be linked to Gaelic inauguration practices, some are natural stones that are used, some have been worked by man to become more chair-like.

By the author

It is described on archaeology.ie as follows

"Large conglomerate glacial erratic almost rectangular in plan (H 1.3m; 1.7m x 0.6m) aligned NE/SW. Doubtful standing stone due to its location and shape and not marked on any editions of the OS 6-inch maps. According to Feehan (1979, 208-10) this standing stone known locally as the 'Fiddlers Rock' located in centre of possible enclosure (OF039-016001-) of which no surface trace survives"

Despite the description saying it wasn't marked on the old OS maps it actually was!

From 1840s OS map

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