Templebryan Stone Circle
Encyclopedia
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
, located 2.5 km (1.6 mi) north of Clonakilty
Clonakilty
Clonakilty , often referred to by locals simply as Clon, is a small town on the N71 national secondary road in West County Cork, Ireland, approximately 45 minutes away by road to the west of Cork City. The town is on the southern coast of the island, and is surrounded by hilly country devoted...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Grid ref: W386 438. Close by lies an Early Christian site. (Grid Ref: 38900 43713, Latitude: 51.643162N Longitude: 8.883359W)
The stone circle is a 9.5m wide axial
Coaxial
In geometry, coaxial means that two or more forms share a common axis; it is the three-dimensional linear analogue of concentric.Coaxial cable, as a common example, has a wire conductor in the centre a circumferential outer conductor and an insulating medium called the dielectric separating...
circle. It consisted of nine large flat topped standing stones, of which five still survive. These include the axial-stone and one of the portal stones which is 210 cm high. A large block of quartz lying in the circle centre is known locally as Cloich Griene (sunstone). All four remaining standing stones (a fifth is almost down) are in the eastern half of the circle, including one that may be a portal stone. It is not known how many originally made up the circle, but in 1743 nine stones were still standing, although by 1837 only the five stones seen today remained.
About 300m north-west is an enclosure containing graves, a square ruined oratory
Oratory (worship)
An oratory is a Christian room for prayer, from the Latin orare, to pray.-Catholic church:In the Roman Catholic Church, an oratory is a structure other than a parish church, set aside by ecclesiastical authority for prayer and the celebration of Mass...
, a souterrain
Souterrain
Souterrain is a name given by archaeologists to a type of underground structure associated mainly with the Atlantic Iron Age. These structures appear to have been brought northwards from Gaul during the late Iron Age. Regional names include earth houses, fogous and Pictish houses...
, a well (Tobernakilla), a bullaun
Bullaun
A bullaun is the term used for the depression in a stone which is often water filled. Natural rounded boulders or pebbles may sit in the bullaun...
, and a monolith 3.3m high with faint Ogham
Ogham
Ogham is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the Old Irish language, and occasionally the Brythonic language. Ogham is sometimes called the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", based on a High Medieval Bríatharogam tradition ascribing names of trees to the individual letters.There are roughly...
inscriptions. These were carved on the existing standing stone and may have had some connection with the stone circle. There is also a small cross pattee inscribed on the western side of this Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
megalith. The single bullaun is known locally as the 'wart well' as it was believed to be a cure for warts.