These weathered monuments mark the beginning of the turas, a traditional pilgrimage route that leads to the church above. The practice of turas, meaning ‘journey’ in Irish, involves visiting a series of sacred sites whilst performing specific prayers and rituals at each station along the way.

The larger of the two cairns rises to about 1.2 metres in height and measures roughly 1.75 by 2.75 metres at its base. What makes this cairn particularly interesting is its construction method; it sits atop a rectangular dry stone wall foundation, suggesting careful planning and considerable effort went into its creation. The builders clearly intended these structures to endure, using traditional dry stone techniques that have allowed them to survive centuries of Atlantic weather.

Just two metres to the southeast sits the second cairn, completing this pair of penitential stations. According to local knowledge, particularly from Gene Curran who has studied these sites, pilgrims would begin their spiritual journey here before ascending towards Hugh Mac Brick’s Church. These cairns represent an important part of Ireland’s religious landscape, where natural features and human constructions combine to create spaces for contemplation and devotion that have been used for generations.