| Bhaile Uí Bhaoithín · Raingiléis | |
 Stone church | |
  Location within Ireland | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Established | 6th century AD |
| Diocese | Ardfert and Aghadoe |
| Architecture | |
| Status | ruined |
| Style | Celtic |
| Site | |
| Location | Ballywiheen, Ballyferriter, County Kerry |
| Coordinates | 52°09′32″N 10°24′25″W / 52.158792°N 10.40702°W / 52.158792; -10.40702 |
| Visible remains | church |
| Public access | yes |
| National monument of Ireland | |
| Official name | Ballywiheen Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Site; Cathair na gCat Cashel & Ogham Stone |
| Reference no. | 221.2425 |
Ballywiheen is a medieval Christian site and National Monument located on the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland.
Location
Ballywiheen is located 800 m (half a mile) south of Ballyferriter, on the south side of Croaghmarhin mountain.
History
There was an early Christian settlement here, also called Raingiléis.
The Ogham stone was erected as a grave marker c. AD 500–550. In the 1880s it was broken open in search of gold.
Excavations in 1998 turned up a stone lamp and flint scraper.
Description
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Ballywiheen is surrounded by an enclosure 68 m (223 ft) in diameter. In the eastern part are the remains of an early drystone oratory. To the west are two mounds — these mark the location of two leachtaí (stone altars).
There is also a cross slab (decorated with Maltese cross), grave mounds (suggestive of a calluragh burial ground).
There is also a stone cross 123 cm (four feet) in height.
Cathair na gCat
The name Cathair na gCat means "the cat's stone fort" (the "cat" referred to is possibly the "tree cat", i.e. the pine marten.) This is a stone fort (cashel) located immediately south of Ballywiheen Christian site. It contains two stone huts and a possible souterrain.
The Ogham stone (dated to the early 6th century AD) reads TOGITTACC MAQI SAGARET, "of Toicthech son of Sáraid."
References
- "Bhaile Uí Bhaoithín/Ballywiheen". Logainm.ie.
- "National Monuments in State Care: Ownership & Guardianship" (PDF). Ireland: National Monuments Service. 4 March 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
- Ireland, Royal Society of Antiquaries of (21 April 1898). Journal – via Internet Archive.
Ballywiheen.
- "The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland". The Society. 21 April 2018 – via Google Books.
- Macalister, Robert Alexander Stewart (21 April 2018). "Studies in Irish Epigraphy: The Ogham inscriptions of the counties of Kerry (not included in part I), Limerick, Cavan, and King's". D. Nutt – via Google Books.
- King, Jeremiah (21 April 1986). County Kerry past and present: a handbook to the local and family history of the county. Mercier Press. ISBN 9780853427988 – via Google Books.
- GoKerry.ie. "An Raingiléis - Monastic site in Baile Bhoithín - Go Kerry". www.gokerry.ie.
- Macalister, R. A. S. (21 April 1898). "Ballywiheen Church, Ballyneanig, Co. Kerry". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 8 (1): 15–20. JSTOR 25508468.
- "Ogham in 3D - Ballywiheen / 172. Ballywiheen". ogham.celt.dias.ie.
- "3443 « Excavations". Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- "Ballyviheen". www.corcadhuibhne3d.ie. Archived from the original on 26 December 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- "Ballywiheen, County Kerry". www.earlychristianireland.net.
- "CISP - Site: Ballywiheen". www.ucl.ac.uk.
- Macalister, Robert Alexander Stewart (21 April 2018). Corpus inscriptionum insularum celticarum. Four Courts Press. ISBN 9781851822423 – via Google Books.
- Macalister, Robert Alexander Stewart (21 April 1897). "Studies in Irish Epigraphy: Ogham inscriptions of the barony of Corkaguiney, and the counties of Mayo, Wicklow, and Kildare". D. Nutt – via Google Books.
- "Ogham in 3D - Ballywiheen / 172. Ballywiheen". ogham.celt.dias.ie.