Prehistoric Standing Stones dating between the late Bronze Age period (3,300 BC to 1,200 BC) to the Early Iron Age period (1,200 to 600 BC) can be found scattered throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe.
The Story
Prehistoric Standing Stones dating between the late Bronze Age period (3,300 BC to 1,200 BC) to the Early Iron Age period (1200 BC - 600 BC) These can be found scattered throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe. Defined by the Archaeological Survey of Ireland as a stone deliberately set upright in the ground, usually orientated on a north-east-south-west axis, andvarying in height from 0.5 metres to 6 metres.
They were used as pre-historic burial markers, commemorative monuments, indicators or boundaries, or as rubbing stones for cattle. There are 80 recorded standing stones in Tipperary alone. The nearest one to us here is located just beside us on the summit of a hill in Giantsgrave, Lisronagh. Giantsgrave is also known as “Bearna Dearg” or “Bloody Pass” and it is believed locally to be the resting place of a giant.
In Irish the hill on which the standing stone rests is known as “An Cnoc air a bhfuair Fionn Fios"” — the place where Fionn MacCumhail found his knowledge. On old OS maps, the stone is referred to as Giant's Headstone.
