Breastagh Ogham Stone

Located in coastal pasture. There is a wedge tomb (MA015-017) c. 300m to N.

This ogham stone is a national monument (no. 415) in state guardianship. When discovery in the 1874, the ogham stone (total L c. 3.6m) lay prostrate on the ground. It appeared to overlie a possible grave (MA015-018002-), a cavity at the S end of which was identified as the socket in which the stone once stood (Ferguson, 1870-9, 201-206). The stone was soon afterwards erected in its current position.

It consists of a massive upright stone (current H 2.75m; 0.98m WSW-ENE; 0.58m NNW-SSE), with a rectangular cross-section. The top of the stone is cut obliquely, so that it rises to a point at one side. There are ogham inscriptions on the NE and SE angles. The inscription extends the entire length of the NE angle; it is partly obscured by lichen. On the SE angle, the inscription begins 1.2m above ground level. Sections of the inscription on both angles have been eroded. The inscriptions have been interpreted as:

(left angle) L[ ... ]G̣G̣[ ... ]SD[ ... ]LENGẸṢCẠ[D]

(right angle) MAQ CORRBRI MAQ AMMLLỌNG[I]TT -which may be translated as '... son of Coirpre son of Amalgaid.'

This stone has been studied as part of the ‘Ogham in 3D’ project undertaken by the School of Celtic Studies, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. To access details go to the following website: http://ogham.celt.dias.ie/search.php?ciic=10