Rock art, Rashenny, Co. Donegal
On the northern side of Crockagalcassagh in County Donegal, a pair of ancient standing stones marks the landscape, though time has weathered their once prominent stance.
Rock art, Rashenny, Co. Donegal
These prehistoric monuments appear on historical Ordnance Survey maps; the second edition six-inch map records them as ‘Standing Stones’, whilst the third edition notes only a single ‘Standing Stone’. This discrepancy hints at the gradual deterioration these ancient markers have suffered over the centuries.
Archaeological investigation reveals more stones in the immediate vicinity, suggesting this site may have once been more extensive. To the west and southwest lie two partially buried stones, their positions indicating they too may have originally stood upright as part of a larger monument complex. The southwestern stone bears particularly intriguing features; two cup-marks, each measuring six centimetres in diameter, have been carved into its surface. These circular depressions, identified by researcher M. R. Colhoun, represent a form of prehistoric rock art found throughout Ireland and Britain, typically dating from the Neolithic to Bronze Age periods.
Today, the stones stand in pastoral farmland, their weathered surfaces bearing witness to thousands of years of Irish history. The presence of cup-marks adds another layer of mystery to the site, as these enigmatic symbols appear across numerous prehistoric monuments throughout Donegal and beyond, their exact purpose and meaning still debated by archaeologists. Whether used for ritual purposes, territorial markers, or astronomical observations, these stones continue to connect modern visitors with the county’s ancient past.





