Síd Cullain or the Castle of Cullahill

This is one of the Síds of Tipperary that I had forgotten to write up into blog format.

People will know it as the dramatic ruin looking down into the valley were Kelly's of Fantane are based. Prof Ronald Hicks who is an expert on the subject says this "Síd (Cullain) – in or near Glenkeen, a valley and parish in County Tipperary with an early monastic site. There are several likely hills nearby, including one in the townland. Perhaps more likely is Cullahill, to the west of the mona...stic site. Today there is the ruin of a large house of indeterminate age on Cullahill."

What is interesting is just how much archaeology and folklore you can see from up here. Looking to the east you can see Knockanora with a cairn on top, next is the hillfort of Garrangrena Lower and then the Devils Bit forms an interesting silhouette. I was really impressed with the views and the remains up here.

Archaeology.ie describes the castle as "Situated on natural rock outcrop in an upland area with extensive views. A seventeenth-century house (TN034-025001) and bawn (TN034-025002) lie to the NW and a ringwork castle (TN034-025004) lies to the NE. Present remains consist of the wall-footings of a two-room single-pile rectangular house site (ext. dims. 18.4m N-S; 8.9m E-W; wall T 0.9m) with a doorway in the centre of the W wall which gives direct access to the large N room. A partition wall divides the N room from the smaller S room. A possible drain outlet in the SE angle of the S wall suggests the possible use of the building as a byre."
It makes sense that it was built on a rock outcrop as that seems to be the reason it has fallen down as the foundations settled over the years.

In Cois Deirge (a local historical journal mainly dealing with the lakeside areas) a piece about the castle was written in 1990 - the main parts that I can see that may relate to a fairy mound is the mention of music being heard and also the finding of a large slab of stone.

"Some stories of ghosts were also connected with the old ruins. Years ago an old resident in the adjoining locality used to say that a sow & bonhams could be heard in the castle at certain times of the year. Strong sound of music could be heard on other occasions. But the most unusual incident ever heard of took place on one occasion.

It was believed that there were a couple of pots of gold hid underneath the floor of the castle. One day two young fellows set out to get this hoard of wealth. They dug down a few feet, and then came upon a big stone slab. They were certain that the treasure was near at hand. They lifted the stone a small bit. Then they got the "shock of their lives". From underneath the stone out came a huge bird cock shape, and black as a slowe. He flew at one of the boys and picked him on the face. They he flew away and never seen afterwards. The boy took ill and died in a few days. But the treasure was never discovered"

I have reproduced the full article here as the journal is very difficult to get a hold of these days.

From Cois Deirge 1990

"Cullohill Castle is situated in about three mile North West of Borrisoleigh village. The ruinous state of the ancient fortress is on a hillock overlooking the main Nenagh Thurles highway. It was a two storey building and the foundation was cut out of solid rock, which forms part of the north side wall to a height of about thirty feet and the masonary just sits on top. This portion is thirty feet by sixty and has pointed gables, height about forty feet. Adjoining the north wall is a strong square building, thirty feet, by thirty four. This was apparently the castle dungeon. Said to was erected in the thirteenth century, about 1260 (approx). Greater part of the ruin now standing appears to have been erected in the 15/16 century. The castle figured constantly in the strife between the O'Dwyers and the De Burges from the 13th to the 15th century when peace was made between the two families. Walter Bourke married Sheila na Guira. Local tradition tells us that Sheila resided at Cullohill castle where she committed numerous deeds which could hardly be recorded publicly. Known by name as Sheila na Guira numerous tales are still told of her harsh treatment towards those who incurred her hostility, e.g. some of her enemies when captured were placed in a barrel, the interior spiked and then rolled down the steep slope neath the castle walls, a painful departure from torture within the castle walls. Other victims were flung into huge containers of boiling oil and roasted to death.

Sheila had a sister (name Christian unknown) who according to the report from Sheila herself had a "moral relapse". She was punished according to reports published at the time. Sheila ordered her to be suspended from the top of the castle, stripped naked, and roasted to death with boiling oil poured over her body from couldrons.

On another occasion she ordered her so called troops to raid a local chieftains residence and bring the loot back to her. They obeyed her orders. The loot was brought to the castle, where it was placed in a strongroom. The following morning Sheila invited the officers in charge of the raiding party to jjoin her at breakfast. When breakfast was over the officers were taken into an adjoining room. That was the end of the day for them. They were set upon and murdered. Another of the tyrants deeds. It was believed she was afraid that they would divulge the secret of the hidden treasure.

Sheila was a sister of Dermot O'Dwyer, Cloneyhap. It is necessary to point out that a family named Bourke resided in another castle nearby. About one mile north west of Cullohill castle, in the townland of Currabaha there was the name Leobold Bourke. It appears that there was a traditional fued between this man Bourke and Dermot O'Dwyer, of Cloney harp (Drombane district) O'Dwyer attacked this stronghold of Bourke but failed to take it and had to withdraw to his own territory. Tradition tells us that O'Dwyer remained in hiding outside the castle after his forces had withdrawn. A short time afterwards Bourke and his young son came out of the castle and into open ground. Suddenly they were set upon by O'Dwyer and Bourke was badly injured and his son was killed. Finally peace was made between the Bourkes and O'Dwyers. Sheila married Walter Bourke. Walter was out lived by Sheila. He died in 1623 and Theobold Bourke died in 1634.

Sheila was killed by one of her own soldiers. Each morning she would come to the front of the caste wall and look over her territory. This morning she came to take her usual look around. Suddenly there was heard a loud cry and they her lifeless body was found on the ground beneath the castle walls. She was buried in Glenkeen cemetary.

Other tales are told about this female tyrant. The old tale that still survives is worth relating. In a townland about four miles west of Cullohill there lived an old man Reeney Ryan. He was the father of a big family - 22 sons. He met Sheila one day as he was journeying through the district. They talked awhile and then an argument started between them. Shiela challenged Reeney to muster his men and fight he trained soldiers on a certain date. Old Reeney accepted the challenge. The forces met in a place called Knockane dearg, about two miles east of Cullohill. There was a fierce battle all day long. Towards evening Reeney's forces were getting the upper hand &  Sheila retreated to her stronghold at Cullohill. Those who were killed in the battle were buried where they had fallen. It was said that small mounds mark the spot where the battle was fought.

There was a small lake at the rear of the castle, but no trace of this remains, with the exception of a hollow about forty feet in diameter. It is said that the lake water is flowing from a rock on the slope of a nearby quarry.

Some stories of ghosts were also connected with the old ruins. Years ago an old resident in the adjoining locality used to say that a sow & bonhams could be heard in the castle at certain times of the year. Strong sound of music could be heard on other occasions. But the most unusual incident ever heard of took place on one occasion.

It was believed that there were a couple of pots of gold hid underneath the floor of the castle. One day two young fellows set out to get this hoard of wealth. They dug down a few feet, and then came upon a big stone slab. They were certain that the treasure was near at hand. They lifted the stone a small bit. Then they got the "shock of their lives". From underneath the stone out came a huge bird cock shape, and black as a slowe. He flew at one of the boys and picked him on the face. They he flew away and never seen afterwards. The boy took ill and died in a few days. But the treasure was never discovered."

Tonn Tinne

The other prominent "Fire Hill" visible from Uisneach in Tipperary is Tonn Tinne. Now Tonn Tinne also has many other claims to fame other than this.
During the middle ages, chroniclers when recording the story of the origins of the Irish are thought to have grafted a Biblical origin onto the story linking the first Irish people to Old Testament stories. The story goes that the first Irishman was Fintan mac Bochra who came with his 5 wives to Ireland before the Biblical Flood. One of Fintan's wives was Cessair the grand-daughter of Noah.
What has this got to do with Tonn Tinne near Portroe I hear you ask? Well after the flood, Fintan was the only survivor as he managed to hide in a cave on Tonn Tinne known as Fintans Grave.
Next Wikipedia says "He then turned into an eagle and then a hawk then back to human form. He lived for 5500 years after the Deluge, becoming an advisor to the kings of Ireland. In this capacity he gave advice to the Fir Bolg king Eochaid mac Eirc when the Tuatha Dé Danann invaded, and fought in the first Battle of Magh Tuiredh.
He survived into the time of Fionn mac Cumhail, becoming the repository of all knowledge of Ireland and all history along with a magical hawk who was born at the same time as him. They meet at the end of their lives and recount their stories to each other. They decide to leave the mortal realm together sometime in the 5th century, after Ireland was converted to Christianity."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fintan_mac_B%C3%B3chra
Now why the chroniclers picked Tonn Tinne as the location of Fintan's Grave is not known. However I would imagine they may have borrowed from some other story or myth linking a flood at this location.
On the sloop of Tonn Tinne is of course the "Graves of the Leinstermen" which is recorded as a megalithic structure. I've written before that it may have been a Neolithic court-tomb.
http://thetipperaryantiquarian.blogspot.ie/…/graves-of-lein…
There is also a bronze age hillfort less than 500m away at Laghtea and of course the Capstone of the King of Leinster is another monument in the vicinity which is not fully understood.
http://thetipperaryantiquarian.blogspot.ie/…/the-capstone-o…
So it could be that the Graves of the Leinstermen are the remains of Fintan's Grave. It could also be that there is another unknown monument waiting to be discovered under the peat on the summit or slopes of Tonn Tinne or even an actual Cave. However I did a brief check of the underlying geology of the area and it appears that it isn't conductive to the formation of Caves.
As we mentioned before the meaning of Tonn Tinne is either "Wave of Fire" or "Grave of a person". The 2nd could link it into the story of Fintan.

Edit

Other folklore relating to Tonn Tinne

From Ballina/Boher: Our History and Traditions" by Kevin M. Griffin and Kevin A. Griffin. Thanks to Joanne Hinz for passing these on to me.

pg 39 "Another extraordinary story about the Graves of the Leinstermen comes from the Book of Leinster, and is also mentioned in other ancient sources, which call the site 'Firt Fintan.' According to the ancient writers, Fintan was said to have slept here and he slept so soundly and so well that the Great Flood of the Bible failed to wake him or drown him! Later he used to wake up at intervals telling the history of the past, and collecting that of later times. Because of this he was considered to be the main transmitter of the remote story or ancient history of Ireland." 

This comes from a footnote in Westropps account in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. Section C: Archaeology, Celtic Studies,
History, Linguistics, Literature, Vol. 29 (1911/1912), pp. 186-212 - see page 211.

pg 19 "Tountinna; Tone Tinne: "Wave of fire or Hill of the wave."  "This is Tul Tuine, Hill of the Wave--the place where Fintan was buried... In the N.E. end of parish. It chiefly consists of mountain. On the N.E. are two small lakes and a trig. Station, 1500 feet above low water at the sea. Bounded on the N. by the parish of Youghal Arra." 

The nearby townland of Townlough Upper & Lower splits the townland which the Capstone of the King of Leinster is in from the townland of the Graves of the Leinstermen. Townlough itself translates as Tuaim Locha or basically burial place by the lake or perhaps burial mound by the lake but there is no record of any such monument in that townland

Uisneach and the Fire Hills of Tipperary

Following on from potential centres of Ireland. Here is the mythological centre of Ireland at the Catstone on Uisneach in Westmeath. You know your getting old when the last time you visited it was 15 years ago. For more info on this amazing site or to get a tour follow Uisneach or see here http://uisneach.ie/history/

It is the reputed burial site of the Tuatha De Danann god Lugh whose festival you could argue is being celebrated today as Reek Sunday. One of the Irish Earth Goddesses Eriu is also supposed to have been buried at Uisneach (under the Catstone). Similar to the Birr Stone - The Cat Stone is thought to be the 'Umbilicus Hiberniae’, ‘Axis Mundi’, or ‘the Naval of Ireland’.
The god Dagda is also thought to have resided here and is linked in mythology to two souterrains that were excavated in the 1920s by MacAllister.

It is probably best known as the location of a fire cult from where the Beltaine fire ushering in Summer was lit. Legend says that the first Beltaine fire was lit here and from here others on hill tops around Ireland were lit upon seeing the fire on Uisneach.

What link does Uisneach have to Tipperary? - I know two hills in Tipperary are supposed to have been part of the network of hills around Ireland - Tountinna and the Maherslieve. However to me it seems more likely that it was the more prominent Keeper Hill rather than the Maherslieve that was visible from Uisneach. Interestingly Tonn Tinne is supposed to translate as "Wave of Fire". However another translation is Tor Duine or Burial place of "Duine" or a person and it may refer to the nearby "Graves of the Leinstermen".

Edit

I think it was author Michael Dames in the book Mythic Ireland that came up with the theory that there was a series of hills around Ireland that would light a secondary fire once the fire of the Hill of Uisneach was lit. Then he thought that these fires could be seen all the way to the coast and the various Beltaine fires were lit in response all around the country. It certainly is an idea that captures the imagination but I haven't come across any evidence that it actually happened. The picture above is of the Mauher Slieve Mt near Kilcommon in North Tipp which Dames picks out as one of the two Fire Hills in Tipperary (it was more likely Keeper Hill though if such a thing occurred).

The other prominent "Fire Hill" visible from Uisneach in Tipperary is Tonn Tinne. Now Tonn Tinne also has many other claims to fame other than this.
During the middle ages chroniclers, when recording the story of the origins of the Irish, are thought to have grafted a Biblical origin onto the story linking the first Irish people to Old Testament stories. The story goes that the first Irishman was Fintan mac Bochra who came with his 5 wives to Ireland before the Biblical Flood. One of Fintan's wives was Cessair the grand-daughter of Noah.
What has this got to do with Tonn Tinne near Portroe I hear you ask? Well after the flood, Fintan was the only survivor as he managed to hide in a cave on Tonn Tinne known as Fintans Grave.
Wikipedia says "He then turned into an eagle and then a hawk then back to human form. He lived for 5500 years after the Deluge, becoming an advisor to the kings of Ireland. In this capacity he gave advice to the Fir Bolg king Eochaid mac Eirc when the Tuatha Dé Danann invaded, and fought in the first Battle of Magh Tuiredh.
He survived into the time of Fionn mac Cumhail, becoming the repository of all knowledge of Ireland and all history along with a magical hawk who was born at the same time as him. They meet at the end of their lives and recount their stories to each other. They decide to leave the mortal realm together sometime in the 5th century, after Ireland was converted to Christianity."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fintan_mac_B%C3%B3chra
Now why the chroniclers picked Tonn Tinne as the location of Fintan's Grave is not known. However I would imagine they may have borrowed from some other story or myth linking a flood at this location.
On the slope of Tonn Tinne is of course the "Graves of the Leinstermen" which is recorded as a megalithic structure. I've written before that it may have been a Neolithic court-tomb.
http://thetipperaryantiquarian.blogspot.ie/…/graves-of-lein…
There is also a bronze age hillfort less than 500m away at Laghtea and of course the Capstone of the King of Leinster is another monument in the vicinity which is not fully understood.
http://thetipperaryantiquarian.blogspot.ie/…/the-capstone-o…
So it could be that the Graves of the Leinstermen are the remains of Fintan's Grave. Alternatively there could be another unknown monument waiting to be discovered under the peat on the summit or slopes of Tonn Tinne or even an actual Cave. However I did a brief check of the underlying geology of the area and it appears that it isn't conductive to the formation of Caves.
As we mentioned before the meaning of Tonn Tinne is either "Wave of Fire" or "Grave of a person". The 2nd could link it into the story of Fintan.

.

The Navel of Ireland

So where was the centre of Ireland? Not far North of Tipperary according to Geraldus Cambrensis in the 12th Century.
The stone which was probably originally located in the townland of Seefin just on the edge of Birr is reputed by oral tradition to have marked a meeting place of the Fianna. It was taken from Birr in 1828 by Thomas Steele to his residence Cullaun House, Co. Clare, to honour Daniel O'Connell and used as a Mass rock at that site.
It was returned to Birr Urban Council in June 1974 by the Department of Lands. The stone itself of local origin. It was probably part of a megalithic monument located at Seffin, the exact site of which now unknown.
It is reputed to have various markings on it including the cross that you can clearly see in the photo. In the IFC it states "This stone was a huge mass of limestone, marked with a number of incisions in the shape of fantastic crosses and other curious symbols. The people accounted for the number and shape of these cavities; by saying they were the impressions of the thumb and four fingers of Finn MacCoul".
Fionn McCool is literally all over the landscape in this area - In the book, Royal Inauguration in Gaelic Ireland by Elizabeth Fitzgerald, it is quoted that “A well formed, man sized, single shod footprint known locally known as ‘Finn McCools’ Footprint, (is) carved into the rock beside Killeen motte and bailey, two miles west of Birr".
Elizabeth Fitzgerald has since looked at the importance of Seefin placenames in the landscape and that is a fascinating study.
I attempted to model it in 3d to bring out any other markings but unfortunately was not successful with the model. There are a lot of tentative connections in the area that may suggest that although it wasn't the geographical centre of Ireland, it may have been a ritual centre during the Bronze Age.

http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5044654/5029269

Applying the latest theories on wedge tombs to the Kilcommon Group in North Tipperary.

Introduction

Fig. 1 Knockcurraghbola Commons TN039-009 by Derek Ryan

This essay will investigate the construction of wedge tombs during the Chalcolithic period c. 2500 – 2000 BC. It will examine possible reasons for this resurgence in building. It will compare and contrast the location and size of the wedge tombs at Roughan Hill, Co. Clare & this essay study area; the Kilcommon group of Co. Tipperary.

Wedge tombs are simple stone tombs which consist of a narrow gallery with a characteristic narrowing and lowering at the back. The gallery can be divided by a septal-stone into a short front chamber known as a portico. They have a consistent orientation on the western and south-western horizon and they seem to be orientated to where the sun sets in the colder and darker months of winter. Jones (2007, 223) postulates that they are aligned in this direction to “incorporate the symbolic dichotomy of light and life versus darkness and death” and towards a possible land of the dead.

There is evidence generally of repeated activities at these tombs and insertions within them such as cremated and inhumated remains. Probable votive offerings within tombs are often found such as at Altar in Co. Cork (Waddell, 1998, 98) and possible metal offerings around tombs such as at Lough Gur, Co. Limerick (Jones et al, 2015, 5). Wedge tombs are often located close to contemporary settlements such as at Lough Gur in Co. Limerick (Jones, 1997, 230) and Roughan Hill in Co. Clare (Jones et al, 2015, 5). 

During the period that wedge tomb building arose a number of events were happening externally to Ireland.

Resurgence of megalithism

In this period Ireland was integrated into far flung exchange networks with the rest of Europe (Jones et al, 2015, 3). It is best evidenced by the finds of beaker pottery from Western Europe at sites in Western Ireland such as at Roughan Hill (Jones et al, 2015, 16).

During this period metal working is also likely to have begun in Ireland. In Co. Kerry there is extensive evidence of mineral extraction at Ross Island. Minerals from this and other mines were worked into various items which have been found in a number of wedge tomb contexts such as at Lough Gur, Co. Limerick.

How these new ideas or technologies came to Ireland is not completely clear. Jones et al (2015, 3) states that “As know-how and ideas could only move as far as people could carry them, the transfer of metallurgical knowledge to Ireland implies human mobility. The scale and nature of this mobility are issues which are still being debated.” As such, during this period there is likely to have been population movement and / or population growth.

These factors may have challenged the existing Neolithic social systems and lead to a period of instability within society.

It has been theorised that megalith building is linked to periods of change. Therefore since the last phase of construction of megaliths in Ireland (the passage tombs) there may have been a period of stability of up to 600 years. It is possible that these new ideas may have led to either the old elite or a new elite having to legitimise their claim to social status by building megaliths and re-evoking the ancestors.

Jones et al (2015, 8) states "It seems that when mortuary rituals were emphasized, it is often because the ancestors are called upon to legitimize social statuses that may be open to challenge, whether the statuses open to challenge are traditional or newly conceived. This may occur in context of changing ideologies, changes in the status system, or both".

If status’s were not fixed as they had been for generations, this may have resulted in social competition and this could be one reason for the variation in size of the wedge tombs.

It may be that due to possible social instability, the building of wedge tombs was a demonstration of collective effort. The construction may have brought the group together and they were possibly directed by a group leader. This would help demonstrate the older social structures and perhaps reinforce the status of a group leader.

Recent ethnographical studies in West Sumba in Indonesia have shown similar findings to this. In West Sumba, findings as to why they currently build similar structures include “establishing long-lasting physical links to specific locales, maintaining relationships with dead ancestors, and fostering group solidarity amongst the living, the most important factor motivating people to build megalithic tombs is the acquisition of power.” (Jones et al, 2015, 10).

In West Sumba tombs are located at a Clan’s ancestral village. Larger tombs show that the builder of the tomb is wealthy and prominent and also that the Clan of the deceased interred within is important. There is competition for status with other clans in the area. (Jones et al, 2015, 15).

In ‘Monuments, Landscape and Identity in Chalcolithic Ireland’ the authors examine the significance of Roughan Hill in the context of the wedge tombs in Co. Clare.

Roughan Hill

Roughan Hill is located in the south-east of the limestone area known as the Burren in Co. Clare. It is at a topographical and ecological divide between the lowlands of the River Fergus and the limestone uplands of the Burren. It is the southernmost of a serious of hills running in south-west to north-east direction. The soils are thin rendzinas and areas of bare bedrock are exposed in places but the soil cover is generally better than in other parts of the upland Burren (Jones et al, 2015, 15). Its altitude is just over 130m and its southern slope drops steeply to the River Fergus, approx. 100m below the crest of the hill.

Within Co. Clare and Ireland it has the densest concentration of wedge tombs in the country. It is near the convergence of route ways in the area. To the south is the head of the River Fergus. This links it to the Shannon Estuary and west to the Atlantic and east via the River Shannon into the middle of Ireland. It is also near where two natural land routes from the east meet and begin north into the Burren.

Wedge tombs are not the earliest monuments in the vicinity of Roughan Hill and there are thought to be four earlier monuments including nearby Parknabinnia court-tomb. Other monuments from the Chalcolithic include a number of cairns.

On Roughan Hill a number of contemporary habitation enclosures have been identified very close to wedge-tombs. However more wedge-tombs than enclosures have been identified in a ratio of roughly 3:1 (Jones et al, 2015, 20). Using inferences from West Sumba, where one wedge tomb equates to one clan, the paper discusses whether this means the hill is of ritual importance to a wider population and may have a regionally significant location in a ritual sense. 

The following chart shows the length in metres of the wedge tombs on Roughan Hill and compares them with County Clare in general. The wedge tombs from Roughan Hill are in dark grey.

Fig. 2 by Jones et al (2015, 10)

Kilcommon group area

Fig. 3 – Kilcommon group wedge tombs by National Monuments Service

There are twelve existing wedge tombs and one recorded but now destroyed wedge tomb within 8km of the village of Kilcommon, Co. Tipperary. De Valera & Ó’Nualláin describe them as the ‘Kilcommon group’ and state that they are “clustered around Mauherslieve or Mother Mountain (543m)” (De Valera & Ó’Nualláin, 1982, 113). There is also one court-tomb to the south of Baurnadomeeny at Shallyballyedmond. To the north-west is the Silvermine Mountains and Keeper Hill and to the south-west the Slieve Felims. To the south is Knockastanna and Gortnageragh Hill and to the east Ring Hill and Knocklough. So we can see this is a mountainous upland area.

Fig. 4 Baurnadomeeny TN038-009 by Derek Ryan

The tombs vary in altitude between 215m to 335m above sea-level. The soils in the area are principally Peaty Podzols and Acid Brown Earths and most of the tombs are located on “well-drained pasture land, on hills or slopes, above the deeper soils in the valleys of the rivers and streams emanating from the watershed area around Mauherslieve Mountain.” (De Valera & Ó’Nualláin, 1982, 113).

Most of this pasture is reclaimed from bog land but it may be that it was originally pasture land during the Chalcolithic, turned into bog land following the construction of the tombs and was reclaimed back to pasture in modern times.

Fig. 5 Curreeny Commons TN033-025 by Derek Ryan

Copper deposits have been found around the Kilcommon group area. There was a copper mine at near-by Lackamore (approx. 6km to the west of Baurnadomeeny) that was exploited as late as the 1960s. De Valera & Ó’Nualláin state that “extensive "old men'sworkings' were noted at the Lackamore mine (Jukes, Kinahan and Wynn 1860, 36)”. They also propose that stone mauls found in the district may have been of a similar date to ones found at Bronze Age copper mines at Mount Gabriel in Cork. (De Valera & Ó’Nualláin, 1982, 113).

There are two further wedge tombs outside our study area to the north of the Kilcommon group. One at Cooleen is 3km from another copper mine at Ballynoe and the other at Lackamore (this is a different townland to where the copper mines are located) looks on to the River Shannon. De Valera & Ó’Nualláin (1982, 114) state that “The River Shannon flows between the north Tipperary tombs and the concentrations in east Clare (Vol .1) and, together with its tributaries, would have offered obvious and convenient routes inland which may have been availed of by the tomb-builders.” It is possible that these two tombs (Cooleen & Lackamore) were links on the route from the large concentration of wedge-tombs in Clare and the Kilcommon group of tombs.

As we can see in figure 3 the tombs are located in the vicinity of the current route ways through the mountain area from north-south (R497) & east-west (R503). A number of rivers rise in the highlands in the Kilcommon group area and flow in all directions from this area. (E.g. The Mulcaire River flows west from the area of Curreeny Commons to the River Shannon).

Compare & contrast Roughan Hill with the Kilcommon group.

Both are in areas with older monuments, Shanballyedmond court tomb is in the Kilcommon group area and Parknabinnia the Roughan Hill area.

Both are in upland areas.

Both seem to be in areas where land and water route ways converge.

To date there is no evidence of settlement enclosures in the Kilcommon group area.

We can see from the following graph that there are significant differences in the size of the wedge tombs in the Kilcommon group versus Roughan Hill (See Appendix I for back-up).

Fig. 6 Comparison of length of wedge tombs in the Kilcommon group versus Roughan Hill by Derek Ryan

The largest tomb on Roughan Hill is in the range of 4.6 - 4.7 metres in length. However in the Kilcommon group area the largest tomb is in the range of 7.2 - 7.3 metres in length. This is in the same range as the largest tomb in all of County Clare.

In the Kilcommon group there are four tombs between the sizes of 6.8 - 7.3 metres.

Jones (2014) suggests that wedge-tombs in the 3m range would require the extended family coming together to build it. Wedge tombs between 4.0 - 4.5m would require members of a larger lineage. For the wedge-tombs of over 7m he suggests they would require a work force on a large regional scale. At Roughan Hill only the first two sizes are represented while in the Kilcommon group all three are and this suggests differing circumstances in their construction.  

There is a large difference in the number of the smaller tombs between 2.0 and 4.9 metres. On Roughan Hill there are 14 wedge-tombs while in the Kilcommon group there are only 6 wedge-tombs.  

Discussion / Conclusion

We have reviewed some of the possible reasons for the resurgence of megalithism in the Chalcolithic period, namely that outside social pressures may have led to the requirement to reassert social status by the construction of wedge-tombs.

We examined the location of the wedge-tombs on Roughan Hill & in the Kilcommon group and found that both were located in upland areas and in the vicinity of both land and possible water routes.

We established that both areas were located in the vicinity of early monuments dating to the early Neolithic and that both had Neolithic court-tombs in the area.

We calculated that four of the wedge-tombs were of a greater length in the Kilcommon group than those at the Roughan Hill and as such a larger regional workforce may have been required to build them.

Fig. 7 Loughbrack TN039-014 by Derek Ryan

Further Study

To date no settlement enclosures have been recorded in the area of the Kilcommon group. It is likely through further surveying that there should be settlements in the vicinity of the wedge-tombs in the area as have been found at Roughan Hill.

A nodal map of the four wedge-tombs of over 6.8m in the Kilcommon group could be suggestive that each of these wedge tombs were localised individual ancestral settlements similar to Roughan Hill. The author recommends further study to ascertain whether this hypothesis is correct (See Appendix II).

Bibliography

De Valera, R. & Ó’Nualláin, S., 1982, Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Vol. 4, Counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, and Tipperary. Dublin, The Stationary Office.

Farrelly, J. & O’Brien, C., 2002, Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary Vol. I – North Tipperary. Dublin, The Stationary Office.

Jones, C. 2003. Neolithic Beginnings on Roughan Hill and the Burren. In I. Armit, E. Murphy, E. Nelis and D. Simpson (eds) Neolithic Settlement in Ireland and Western Britain,188-94. Oxford, Oxbow Books.

Jones, C., 2007, Temple of Stone, Exploring the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland, Cork, Collins Press.

Jones, C. 2014, "Why Build A Wedge Tomb Here? A Study Of Monuments, Landscape And Identity Around 2000Bc", Presentation, NUIG Galway, 21 March.

Jones, C., McVeigh, T. & Ó’Maoldúin, R., 2015, Monuments, Landscape and Identity in Chalcolithic Ireland, In Springs, D. (ed.) Landscape and Identity:Archaeology and Human Geography, 3 – 26. Oxford. BAR, International Series 2709.

Waddell, J., 1998, The Prehistoric Archaeology of Ireland, Galway, Galway University Press.

Appendix I

Lengths of wedge-tombs in Kilcommon group of Tipperary. Only 10 of the 13 have remains that the length can be measured.  

Kilcommon Group Wedge Tomb lengths
Taken from Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary Vol. I – North Tipperary	m
Foilnamuck	4.6
Cureeny Commons	7
Rearnogy More	2.7
Baurnadomeeny	7.2
Knocknabansha	2.1
Knockmaroe	Not measurable
Knockcurraghbola Commons	7
Loughbrack	6.8
Knockcurraghbola Commons	4.2
Knockcurraghbola Commons	Not measurable
Knockshanbrittas	3.7
Knockshanbrittas	3.2
Foilycleary	Not measurable

Appendix II – Nodal Map of the four large wedge tombs as possible ancestral settlements.

A Bronze Age Wooden Idol in the Bog of Cullen, County Tipperary

Löwenmensch figurine 

by Dagmar Hollmann / Wikimedia Commons - "License: CC BY-SA 4.0"

I'm taking a break from Early Medieval and Gaelic inauguration sites to write about an interesting reference I came across recently.

I watched this lecture by Prof John Waddell for a course I was doing
https://youtu.be/-GI98d0EdAg
and at 18.01 mins he mentions a "Tipperary Idol" that had been used as a gate-post. I did a brief search for it at the time but couldn't find anything about it.

Recently the owner of https://www.facebook.com/TheIrishWay/ kindly shared some of my facebook posts and we have corresponded back and forth on occasion since. They recently suggested a book to read called "Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions" by James Bonwick. They thought it might be of interest. I had a quick look through it and the first thing I found was the original reference to the "Tipperary Idol" that Prof Waddell had mentioned.

On pg 98 it says

"A letter written to Pownall by the Rev. Mr. Armstrong, about 1750, has the story of an image found sixty years previously, in the bog of Cullen, Tipperary. It was a large wooden image. Mention is made that "little pins or pegs were stuck in different parts of it; and that Mr. Damer imagined that the little gold plates found there (four inches by three each), one of which I saw with him, were suspended by these pegs in different parts of that image." Subsequently the god was converted into a gate-post, and lost sight of after.

On pg 99 it mentions that the account of this find was reported to the Society of Antiquarians in 1774 and begins to describe it

"The fragment," said he, "which is said to be part of an image found at the same time, is of a black wood, entirely covered and plated with thin gold, and seems to have been part of the breasts, the tet or nipple of which is radiated in hammered or chased work, in lines radiating from a centre, as is usual in the images of the sun; and round the periphery, or setting on of the breast, there are like radiations in a specific number, with other linear ornaments. There is another fragment of the same kind of wood, which seems to be a fragment of an Ammonian horn; there are in it the golden studs or rivets by which it may be supposed to have been plated with gold. The first account I had of this image was that it was of a human form, with a lion's face; then, that it was indeed biform, but of what sort not specified. I have since been informed that the image, whatever it was, was of a size sufficient to make a gate-post"

He then rather fancifully attributes the "Lion's face" as "the symbolic image of Mithras, as used by the Gadetani (of Spain), for which I will refer to the Saturnalia of Macrobius, when he quotes a historical passage to show that the Hercules of Gades (Cadiz) and of the sun were one and the same numen, represented by biform figures with heads of lions, radiating like the sun."

We now can probably say with confidence that this was a Bronze Age wooden Idol of which a number have been found around Ireland in wetland contexts.

I was actually able to find the original 1774 reference on google books here on pg 357

Some other artefacts found with the Idol

I used a Wooden Idol from Germany as a representation of what the "Tipperary Idol" may have looked like although the Lowenmensch figurine comes from a slightly different time period.

So what were these idols?

From Stanley, Michael. “THE 'RED MAN' OF WAR AND DEATH?” Archaeology Ireland, vol. 26, no. 2, 2012, pp. 34–37. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41550268.

Description of similar Idols found before 2001:

"Prior to 2001, only three prehistoric idols were known from Ireland, all of which were recovered from wetlands. The oldest figure was recovered from disturbed contexts at the early medieval 'royal' crannog at Lagore, Co. Meath. This oak figure (47cm in height) is explicitly anthropomorphic, with a clearly identifiable head, shoulders and legs. It may also have a phallus, which has led to its interpretation as a male figure. Radiocarbon dating returned an early Bronze Age date of 2135-1944 cal. BC (Coles 1990). A second Bronze Age figure, dated to 1096-906 cal. BC {ibid.), was discovered by turf-cutters at Ralaghan, Co. Cavan. This yew figure (114cm in height) represents the most explicitly anthropomorphic idol discovered in Ireland. Its head has clearly depicted facial features, the body is finely carved and, although armless, the figure has distinct legs. A circular slot in the pelvic area may have held a separate phallus but might also represent female genitalia. The third idol, from Corlea, Co. Longford, is the least representational. Its classification as anthropomorphic is subjective to some extent - although this can be said of numerous European examples (van der Sanden and Capelle 2001). It consists of a 5m-tall ash roundwood cut to a point at one end, while the other end has a carved neck and bulbous head."

In Offaly a number of similar Idols have been found since 2001 at Kilbeg and Ballykilleen.

Here is some discussion as to their function / meaning:

Anthropomorphic wooden figures have generally been interpreted as representations of deities in human form. These idols would presumably have been revered and may have been permanently on display at cult centres prior to their final deposition. Alternatively, they may have functioned as portable items, exhibited at significant times of the year. When not in use they could have been deposited in bogs for safekeeping and preservation. Idols found in close association with wooden structures have been documented, however, and the Offaly figures probably belong in this category. (Although the Kilbeg figure was an isolated find, it is possible that it originally lay beneath a trackway/platform, all evidence for which had been destroyed prior to discovery.) There is a case for interpreting some of the figures as protective markers, imbued with symbolic meaning and perceived supernatural powers, ensuring the safety of people traversing/accessing the bog on trackways or while using platforms. If set upright, they would have been helpful visual aids demarcating safe areas. The abraded example from Ballykilleen may even have been adorned with a wind-blown textile, as suggested for a figure associated with an Iron Age trackway in Wittemoor, Germany (van der Sanden and Capelle 2001, 49). The figures may also have signified ownership of particular routeways or territories - giving physical expression to a distinct cultural identity guaranteed by the presence of supernatural guardians (or effigies thereof). Nonetheless, most of the Ballykilleen examples appear to have been deliberately deposited beneath/within structures. Perhaps they were deposited in this manner so as to confer supernatural protection upon the sites and those who used them. These figures may have been revered in other contexts prior to becoming offerings of this sort, or perhaps they were created specifically for the purpose. The unweathered condition of the figures certainly indicates that they were not subject to prolonged exposure. An alternative interpretation is that these idols were ritually deposited as human effigies in lieu of actual human sacrifices. Alder's blood-red colour was perhaps symbolic of the blood of victims of ritualistic killings - a precursor to the ritual deaths evidenced by some Iron Age bog bodies. A late Bronze Age alder figure from Balluchulish, Scotland, may have been such an offering. An account of its discovery suggests that it was deposited face down in a pit at the base of a bog and held in place by stakes and wickerwork. It may be significant that the Kilbeg figure was similarly deposited in a prone position. Evidence from Iron Age bog bodies indicates that certain individuals were ritually slain, deposited in bogs and held in place by brushwood, stakes and so on. It is difficult to believe that these wooden 'human bodies' are not metaphorically related to actual human remains recovered from bogs (O'Sullivan 2007, 188). Kelly (2006) argues that the ritualistic mutilation and deposition of some Iron Age bog bodies is related to sacral kingship and the maintenance of fertility, sovereignty and power.

Nonetheless, most of the Ballykilleen examples appear to have been deliberately deposited beneath/within structures. Perhaps they were deposited in this manner so as to confer supernatural protection upon the sites and those who used them. These figures may have been revered in other contexts prior to becoming offerings of this sort, or perhaps they were created specifically for the purpose. The unweathered condition of the figures certainly indicates that they were not subject to prolonged exposure. An alternative interpretation is that these idols were ritually deposited as human effigies in lieu of actual human sacrifices. Alder's blood-red colour was perhaps symbolic of the blood of victims of ritualistic killings - a precursor to the ritual deaths evidenced by some Iron Age bog bodies. A late Bronze Age alder figure from Balluchulish, Scotland, may have been such an offering. An account of its discovery suggests that it was deposited face down in a pit at the base of a bog and held in place by stakes and wickerwork. It may be significant that the Kilbeg figure was similarly deposited in a prone position. Evidence from Iron Age bog bodies indicates that certain individuals were ritually slain, deposited in bogs and held in place by brushwood, stakes and so on. It is difficult to believe that these wooden 'human bodies' are not metaphorically related to actual human remains recovered from bogs (O'Sullivan 2007, 188). Kelly (2006) argues that the ritualistic mutilation and deposition of some Iron Age bog bodies is related to sacral kingship and the maintenance of fertility, sovereignty and power.

So deposits of items such as the "Tipperary Idol" may have been associated with the inauguration of a new king and are associated with boundary areas. In this example a bog is a boundary between water and land.

There may be a farmer in the vicinity of the Bog of Cullen near Cullen in Tipperary who has a priceless Bronze Age artifact holding up a gate on their farm!

The inauguration site of the O'Meaghers of Ikerrin at Sean Ross Abbey near Roscrea, Co. Tipperary

The O'Meaghers were another of the Gaelic Clans of North Tipperary.

King Henry the VIII includes them as one of  "Chief Irish regions and countries of Thomond and Chief Captains of the same" (See History of O'Dwyers for reference).

I first came across a reference to the location of  the inauguration site in "O'Meachair - The Story of a Clan" by Gabrielle Ní Mheachair. On pg 89 it states "Ó Meachair was inaugurated as the king of his clan with a mighty ceremony at the ancient monastery of Sean Ross near the ancient town of Roscrea". However it gave no reference as to where this came from.

I did a bit of research but could find nothing about it online. I then checked "The History of Ely O'Carroll Territory" by Rev. John Gleeson and that seems to be where the original reference comes from.

Gleeson on pg 411 / 412 says "The O'Meagher, as Lord of Ikerrin, was instituted into the chieftaincy of the tuath (thooa) or barony by the abbot of the local monastery; such was the Irish custom. In this case the successor of St. Cronan, who was called in Irish Comarba, who performed the ceremony of institution. This ceremony used to be performed on the summit of one of those artificial green mounds called moats, one of which is found in the parish of Dunkerrin, similar to the green moat of Lorrha, where the O'Kennedy was installed. In the pedigree of the O'Meaghers, given by Cuconry O'Clery, one of the Four Masters, the following reference to this ceremony is found - "The steed and battledress of every Lord of them belong to the Comarba of Cronan and of Inchnamber, and these must go thrice round him, when proclaiming him Lord; and the comarba should be at his shoulder ; and he should rise before the comarba ; and that Machair (O'Meagher) was king of Ely". In the above extract, the word king is used to express the fourth class Irish King, who governed a small territory."

With that I made a visit to Sean Ross itself and they have a nice information board there. The Abbey itself was undergoing renovation / stablisation works at the time of visit.

It says "Tradition asserts that here, too, was the inauguration place of the O'Meachair, chieftains of Ikerrin, who also held the position of prior of Monaincha throughout the middle ages."

I have been researching these places with a view to seeing if there is any pattern to their location / siting in Tipperary & surrounds. It is difficult to know at this remove whether the fact Rev John Gleeson was a clergy-man led to any bias regarding his location of the site at a religious place. Many other inauguration sites had no such connection.

It is interesting to note that there is a small mound to one side of the Abbey.