Turoe Stone

The Turoe stone is a granite stone decorated in a Celtic style located in the village of Bullaun, County Galway, Ireland, 6 km north of Loughrea off the R350 regional road.[1] It probably dates to about the period 100 BC to 100 AD.[2] The stone is now positioned in a covered protective structure on the lawn in front of Turoe House, set in a concrete base surrounded by a metal cattle grill.[3] The Turoe stone is National Monument of Ireland Nr. 327 (NM#327) [4]

Turoe stone
Reference to the Turoe stone at the Castlestrange stone Click to read

Features

The top half of the stone is covered with a continuous abstract curvilinear La Tène style design similar to that on the Castlestrange stone in County Roscommon.[1]

History

It was for centuries a curiosity at a lios, or fairy fort, some 3 km from Bullaun, but was moved to the present location at Turoe Farm, in the late 19th century. It was probably saved from vandalism or worse, but the historic provenance has been destroyed. The religious or ceremonial purposes of the stone are lost in time.

George Coffey, in his 1904 paper for the Royal Irish Academy on the subject of La Tène art, said that the stone had been moved in the 1850s from the rath of Feerwore site.[3]

In 2007, a proposal to remove the Turoe Stone from its location near Loughrea due to concerns that the stone is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the elements, met fierce local opposition.[5]

As of 17 July 2014, it has been temporarily removed from the Turoe Petting Farm for cleaning due to fungus growth.[6]

Excavations

The stone was originally outside the rath of Feerwore, in Turoe townland. Excavation yielded much material suggesting that an open site dating to the late centuries BC had been later enclosed.[1][7]

See also

The Castlestrange stone near Athleague, County Roscommon and the Killycluggin Stone, county Cavan.

References
  1. Weir, A (1980). Early Ireland. A Field Guide. Belfast: Blackstaff Press. p. 151.
  2. Harding, D.W., The Archaeology of Celtic Art, p. 181
  3. "Turoe Stone, County Galway". Mythical Ireland. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
  4. "List of National Monuments of Ireland" (XLS). opw.ie/Heritage/NationalMonuments. Office of Public Works. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  5. "Loughrea opposes Turoe Stone move". Galway Independent (17 October 2007). Retrieved 14 June 2008.
  6. Chapple, Robert M. (17 May 2013). "Robert M Chapple, Archaeologist: Release the Iron Age One!: What's happening to the Turoe Stone?". Robert M Chapple, Archaeologist. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  7. "Turoe, County Galway: phallic stone". Irish Megaliths. Retrieved 14 June 2008.

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