This bullaun stone, a small boulder featuring two basin-like depressions, represents a type of ritual object found scattered across the Irish countryside. Each hollow measures roughly 20 centimetres across and 10 centimetres deep; perfectly sized for holding water, grinding grain, or perhaps serving more mysterious purposes that have been lost to time.

Bullaun stones like this one are notoriously difficult to date, as they could have been created anywhere from the Bronze Age through to the early Christian period and beyond. Their uses were likely as varied as their ages; some may have served practical purposes such as grinding herbs or grain, whilst others were incorporated into folk healing practices and religious rituals. The proximity of this particular stone to a well is especially significant, as holy wells and bullaun stones were often associated with pattern days, local saints, and cure-seeking pilgrims who would visit these sites hoping for relief from various ailments.

The placement of the Tullyarvan bullaun against the southern edge of the well suggests it wasn’t simply discarded there but deliberately positioned, perhaps to take advantage of the sacred associations of the water source. Local tradition often holds that rainwater collected in bullaun depressions possessed healing properties, particularly for warts and other skin conditions. Whilst the original purpose of this particular stone remains uncertain, its survival speaks to the enduring importance of these humble monuments in Irish folk tradition and the careful documentation work of archaeologists who continue to record these easily overlooked pieces of our shared heritage.