Stones and Holy Wells in the Boggeragh and Mushera Mountains

July 1st 2014
It's another warm and sunny day, so I'm off stone hunting up to the Mushera Mountains, hoping to fill a few of the many missing gaps of the monuments of the area, that I've already seen.
First stop is the stone row at Glantane East. I spot it in the field to the left. The field gate is open, so access is easy.

The Row consists of three stones - Aligned ENE-WSW, the largest stone is at the SW end and is 2.4m high. The other two are of similar height at 0.9m
A little further up the road is a small track that goes off to the right. This leads to an abandoned farm and in the small wood at the back slowly being consumed by the undergrowth sits the stone circle of Glantane East. This is the lesser know of two circles in this Townland and consists of 11 small stones, including a long low recumbent. The stones are covered in a thick layer of Moss and Pennywort. This is a truly magical circle. Let's hope that it doesn't disappear altogether.

 Back to the car and and alround just past the other Glantane circle, there is a stone pair in the field to the right. The field looks boggy, but thankfully is dry after the fine weather. The stones are aligned NE-SW and point towards the nearby circle, which is about 180m to the SW. The tallest stone is 1.3m in height with it's slightly smaller companion standing at 1m

Carrying on again, I can't resist stopping at Knocknakilla. This is one of my favourite sites - a circle, a stone pair and a ring cairn, all in a small area. I've written about Knocknakilla in a previous blog so won't dwell on it this time round.There is a standing stone on the opposite side of the road in the forestry, but the warning signs of being watched on cctv etc, don't make it very welcoming so I don't look for it (this time)

 A little further up the road on the Western slopes of Musheramore is St John's Holy Well - Tobair na Faithni and is used for the curing of warts.

The road continues up to a T Junction, and turning right here takes you past the Kerryman's Table. It was a stopping place for traders on the butter road, which ran beween Kerry and Cork City. I wonder if it was once a fallen menhir - I would like to think so !

Time as usual, is getting on and I break the long trip back to Skibbereen, with a quick look in at another holy well - this one is just outside Macroom on the R584 in the Towland of Sleveen East. Dedicated to St Berrihert.