The decorated stones were discovered quite by accident when a local landowner was carrying out land reclamation works in his field, situated along a ridge of rock outcrop that forms the 500ft contour line. The area’s poorly drained upland setting has helped preserve these ancient carvings, which had lain hidden for millennia.

Three decorated rocks were uncovered during the works, though only one remains in its original position. The largest of the displaced boulders is an irregular chunk of natural rock outcrop measuring four metres long and one metre high, which now rests just a few metres from where it was originally embedded in the ground. Its surface bears at least six closely spaced cup marks, all contained within a distinctive pock marked panel, with two deeper cup marks positioned above that may have been enclosed by a second pocked border. The artistry suggests careful planning and execution by our prehistoric ancestors.

The second displaced boulder, which features cup and ring motifs framed within an irregular pocked border, has been relocated to the roadside about 130 metres northeast of its discovery site. These examples of rock art, compiled and documented by Caimin O’Brien in May 2011, offer a tangible connection to Ireland’s distant past; their abstract designs continue to intrigue archaeologists and visitors alike, though their exact meaning and purpose remain one of prehistory’s enduring mysteries.