Drumlohan Souterrain and Ogham Stones

Souterrain and ogham stones in County Waterford, Ireland

Drumlohan souterrain and ogham stones, known locally as the Ogham Cave, is a souterrain with ogham stones forming a National Monument located in County Waterford, Ireland.^[1][2][3]

Location

Drumlohan souterrain and ogham stones are located in farmland 4 km (2½ mi) east of Lemybrien.^[4]

History

The ogham stones were carved between 400 and 700 AD.^[5]

The souterrain is believed to have been constructed around the 9th century AD and is aligned WSW, facing the setting sun. Souterrains were storage sites and places of refuge.^[6][7]

In July/August 1867 a local farmer rediscovered the souterrain and ogham stones. In 1936 part of the souterrain was dismantled and some of the ogham stones re-erected above ground.^[8]

Description

Souterrain

This souterrain gallery is about 4.9 m (16 ft) long and 1.3 m (4 ft) wide, with a roof height of up to 1.2 m (4 ft).^[9] It is constructed of orthostats roofed with lintels, and ten ogham stones were used as lintels and sidestones (some of them being installed upside-down).^[10] One of the roofstones bears cup marks.^[11]

Ogham stones

The stones (CIIC 272–281) vary in size. All are greenschist, except for two of slate and one of conglomerate. The inscriptions are:

• MANU MAGUNO GATI MOCOI MACORBO (of Manu the boy of Gáeth, of the tribe of Macorbo)^[12] — perhaps the Dál Maic-Cuirp, one of the Déisi Muman
• CALUNOVIC[A] MAQI MUCOI LIT[EN]Ị (of Culann, son of the tribe of Litenos)^[13]
• MAQI-INI ̣ ̣ ? ̣ ̣ MAQI(?) QE(?)]TTEAS (of Maqinni, son of Qetteas)
• CUNALEGEA MAQI C[ ... ]SALAR CELI AVI QVECI (of Conlaoi son of C ... salar, follower of the grandson of Cuach)
• BIGU MAQI LAG ... (of Bigu, son of Lag ... )
• BIR MAQI MUCOI ROTTAIS (of Bir, son of the tribe of Rottis) — referring to the Rothrige, a subject tribe of the Déisí
• [ ... ] MAQI NE[TACUN]AS ( ... son of Netacunas). The name Netacunas means "Hound's champion."
• DENAVEC[A MU]COI MEDALO (of Denaveca of the tribe of Medalo) — maybe the Dál Mo Dala
• BRO[INION]AS (of Broinionas)
• DEAGOS MAQI MUCO[I ... NAI (of Deagos, son of the tribe of I ... nai)^[14][15]

References

1. "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy". Royal Irish Academy. 1 January 1874 – via Google Books.
2. Ferguson, Sir Samuel (1 January 1887). Ogham Inscriptions in Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. D. Douglas – via Internet Archive. drumlohan.
3. Clinton, Mark (1 January 2001). The Souterrains of Ireland. Wordwell. ISBN 9781869857493 – via Google Books.
4. Hannon, Ed (3 October 2016). "Drumlohan Ogham Stones & Souterrain, Waterford, Ireland | Visions Of The Past". Visionsofthepastblog.com. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
5. "Drumlohan Ogham Stones/Megalithic Monuments Of Ireland.Com". Megalithicmonumentsofireland.com. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
6. "Drumlohan". Prehistoric Waterford. 23 March 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
7. "Prehistoric and Early Ireland @ megalithomania.com - Drumlohan Ogham Stone, County Waterford". Megalithomania.com. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
8. "Drumlohan Ogham Stones". Megalithicireland.com. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
9. "Drumlohan". Irishstones.org. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
10. "Drumlohan". Irishantiquities.bravehost.com. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
11. "Old Waterford Society : Decies" (PDF). Snap.waterfordcoco.ie. 1987. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
12. Power, Patrick C. (1 January 1990). History of Waterford: City and County. Mercier Press. ISBN 9780853429456 – via Google Books.
13. Thomas, Charles (1 January 1994). And Shall These Mute Stones Speak?: Post-Roman Inscriptions in Western Britain. University of Wales Press. ISBN 9780708311608 – via Google Books.
14. Halpin, Andy; Newman, Conor (26 October 2006). Ireland: An Oxford Archaeological Guide to Sites from Earliest Times to AD 1600. OUP Oxford. ISBN 9780191513176 – via Google Books.
15. "Ogham in 3D - Drumlohan / 272. Drumlohan I". Ogham.celt.dias.ie. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.

"On an Ogham Chamber at Drumloghan, in the County of Waterford"

External links

• Video on YouTube