Stones in Ireland.

Ballynoe Stone Circle is very complex and so is nearly impossible to get a photo of. However I've done my best and you can see my Ballynoe photos here: Ballynoe Stone Circle.

This is a stone row known as "The Three Brothers" and it is usually listed as being at the West Division in Co. Antrim. This is a hilly area near the village of Straid. Burl lists this as a three stone row but is appears to be in something of a state of decay. Access is difficult and via a private lane.

The strangely shaped stone in the foreground is what is called a Mass Rock. This would have been an area where Mass was celebrated during the time of the penal laws. In the background you can see the remains of a prehistoric chambered tomb. I think that this photo is interesting as it shows a continuity of use of the area spanning several thousand years. This is an area called Linford near the town of Larne in Co. Antrim, the erosion around the stone is caused by sheep and cattle.

To continue with the theme above this is a prehistoric standing stone which has become the corner of a modern garden hedge and fence. It is interesting to note that it is not uncommon to find prehistoric stones becoming part of more modern walls and it does raise the possibility that we are just building on boundaries which have existed for many years. This one is near the village of Kells in Co. Antrim.

This stone sits on a remote hillside on the north east coast of Co. Antrim and is quite a considerable walk from the road. For this reason it is not often you see photos of this stone. It is located in an area rich with stone and earthwork sites.The erosion at the base has probably been caused by the sheep who like to gather around standing stones. This line of hills along the coast has a few single stones such as this one and I wonder if they were some form of "sign post" to guide walkers along the hills or even to guide someone arriving by boat. Scotland is only about 15 miles away by sea.

Link to Ballynoe stone circle.

Back to Philip Blair's flyfishing, prehistoric standing stone, music and audio page