Ballywiheen

Ballywiheen is a medieval Christian site and National Monument located on the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland.[3][4][5][6]

Ballywiheen
Bhaile Uí Bhaoithín[1] · Raingiléis
Stone church
Location within Ireland
Monastery information
Established6th century AD
DioceseArdfert and Aghadoe
Architecture
Statusruined
StyleCeltic
Site
LocationBallywiheen, Ballyferriter, County Kerry
Coordinates52.158792°N 10.40702°W / 52.158792; -10.40702
Visible remainschurch
Public accessyes
National Monument of Ireland
Official nameBallywiheen Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Site; Cathair na gCat Cashel & Ogham Stone[2]
Reference no.221.2425

Location

Ballywiheen is located 800 m (half a mile) south of Ballyferriter, on the south side of Croaghmarhin mountain.

History

There was an early Christian settlement here, also called Raingiléis.[7][8]

The Ogham stone was erected as a grave marker c. AD 500–550. In the 1880s it was broken open in search of gold.[9]

Excavations in 1998 turned up a stone lamp and flint scraper.[10]

Description
The cross slab (foreground) and ruined oratory.[11]
View of the church and burial ground.

Ballywiheen is surrounded by an enclosure 68 m (223 ft) in diameter. In the eastern part are the remains of an early drystone oratory. To the west are two mounds — these mark the location of two leachtaí (stone altars).

There is also a cross slab (decorated with Maltese cross),[12] grave mounds (suggestive of a calluragh burial ground).

There is also a stone cross 123 cm (four feet) in height.[13]

Cathair na gCat

The name Cathair na gCat means "the cat's stone fort" (the "cat" referred to is possibly the "tree cat", i.e. the pine marten.) This is a stone fort (cashel) located immediately south of Ballywiheen Christian site. It contains two stone huts and a possible souterrain.

The Ogham stone (dated to the early 6th century AD)[14] reads TOGITTACC MAQI SAGARET[TOS], "of Toicthech son of Sáraid."[15][16][17]

References
  1. "Bhaile Uí Bhaoithín/Ballywiheen". Logainm.ie.
  2. https://www.archaeology.ie/sites/default/files/media/pdf/monuments-in-state-care-kerry.pdf
  3. Ireland, Royal Society of Antiquaries of (21 April 1898). Journal – via Internet Archive. Ballywiheen.
  4. "The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland". The Society. 21 April 2018 – via Google Books.
  5. Macalister, Robert Alexander Stewart (21 April 2018). "Studies in Irish Epigraphy: The Ogham inscriptions of the counties of Kerry (not included in part I), Limerick, Cavan, and King's". D. Nutt – via Google Books.
  6. King, Jeremiah (21 April 1986). "County Kerry past and present: a handbook to the local and family history of the county". Mercier Press – via Google Books.
  7. GoKerry.ie. "An Raingiléis - Monastic site in Baile Bhoithín - Go Kerry". www.gokerry.ie.
  8. Macalister, R. A. S. (21 April 1898). "Ballywiheen Church, Ballyneanig, Co. Kerry". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 8 (1): 15–20. JSTOR 25508468.
  9. "Ogham in 3D - Ballywiheen / 172. Ballywiheen". ogham.celt.dias.ie.
  10. https://www.excavations.ie/report/1998/Kerry/0003443/
  11. http://www.westkerrymuseum.com/bearla/earlymedgal.html
  12. "Ballyviheen". www.corcadhuibhne3d.ie.
  13. "Ballywiheen, County Kerry". www.earlychristianireland.net.
  14. "CISP - Site: Ballywiheen". www.ucl.ac.uk.
  15. Macalister, Robert Alexander Stewart (21 April 2018). "Corpus inscriptionum insularum celticarum". Four Courts Press – via Google Books.
  16. Macalister, Robert Alexander Stewart (21 April 1897). "Studies in Irish Epigraphy: Ogham inscriptions of the barony of Corkaguiney, and the counties of Mayo, Wicklow, and Kildare". D. Nutt – via Google Books.
  17. "Ogham in 3D - Ballywiheen / 172. Ballywiheen". ogham.celt.dias.ie.
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