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County Tipperary

Tipp Bullauns — Mr Bawn79!

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fitzcoraldo F
fitzcoraldo Nov 7, 2007 09:59:15
Replying to FourWinds

Given that many of these lovely bullaun stones are definitely associated with christian sites, do you not think we should be classifying them in the same way we classify holy wells i.e. placing disputed antiquity labels on them, unless they have clear prehistoric provenances?

cheers fitz

B bawn79
bawn79 Nov 7, 2007 10:03:21
Replying to fitzcoraldo

fitzcoraldo wrote:
Given that many of these lovely bullaun stones are definitely associated with christian sites, do you not think we should be classifying them in the same way we classify holy wells i.e. placing disputed antiquity labels on them, unless they have clear prehistoric provenances?

cheers fitz

I think I will hand that one over to Mr Fourwinds, however I would think it is "the which came first argument". Did the christain site locate at this spot because of an earlier prehistoric bullaun stone or was a bullaun stone put there at the same time as the christain site.

F FourWinds
FourWinds Nov 7, 2007 13:02:41
Replying to fitzcoraldo

Only if you apply the same tag to all rock art that doesn't have a context to date it :-)

Some of the smaller, portable ones are probably early Christian, but the multiple & earthfast examples (most probably) aren't.

As StoneLifter commented below, many of the smaller portable ones do appear to be cut from a larger piece of rock. The common belief (mainly pushed by me I admit) is that the use of bullauns in church yards is a very good example of the early church in Ireland absorbing an older religion to fight it.

A great many of them have St. Brigit associations, which points to them (possibly/probably) being associated with the celtic Brigid beforehand.

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