Drumlohan Souterrain and Ogham Stones

Drumlohan souterrain and ogham stones
Native name Uaimh agus Clochanna Oghaim Dhrom Lócháin (Irish)
The Ogham Cave
Location of Drumlohan souterrain and ogham stones in Ireland
Type	Souterrain and ogham stones
Location	Drumlohan, Stradbally, County Waterford, Ireland
Coordinates	52°09′46″N7°27′54″W / 52.162846°N 7.464882°W / 52.162846; -7.464882
Elevation	84 m (276 ft)
Built	AD 400–700 (ogham stones) AD 800–900 (souterrain)
Owner	private
National monument of Ireland
Official name	Drumlohan
Reference no.	154

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 ten 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]}

Nearby Ogham Stones

This area of Waterford has several other nearby sites with Ogham Stones: North east of Stradbally is Toberkillea with two Ogham Stones, nearby is Island Ringfort which has a Bullaun and a fallen Ogham Stone, north east of Dungarvan is Garranmillon with two Ogham Stones, north west of Dungarvan is St. Seskinan's church at Knockboy with multiple Ogham Stones ^[16] and Kilcomeragh near Lemybrien with one Ogham Stone. ^[17]

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.
16. Fergus (19 April 2017). "The Ogham Stones in Seskinan Church and nearby Stone Row". The Irish Place. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
17. Meehan, Cary (2004). Sacred Ireland. Somerset: Gothic Image Publications. p. 516. ISBN   0 906362 43 1.

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

External links

• Video on YouTube