Ho or Howe Stone, Balcunnin.
There is a very large stone called the ‘Ho or Howe Stone’ in a field near Balcunnin crossroads. One going along the main road from Lusk to Skerries can view the ‘Ho stone’ in the field on the right hand side of the road. It is only a distance of twenty yards from the Balcunnin Cross Roads. It is about five feet in height and must weigh about 3 or 4 tons in weight. There is a smaller stone near it but whether this was broken from the original stone it would be difficult to state.This ‘Ho stone’ resembles the Cromlech stones which are to be seen in many parts of Ireland but there is no visible inscription on it. Some say that it was part of Baldungan Castle that was destroyed in the rebellion of 1641 but this would belie the suggestion that the castle was destoryed by Cromwell from the sea as it is situated on the same road as Cromwell’s Bush. If Cromwell destroyed Baldungan Castle from Loughshinny by cannon fire it is very unlikely that a mass of stone weighing some tons could be blown for such a distances, as it is almost a half mile from the site of the castle.
Local tradition states that it covers the entrance to a cavern or passage which leads to Baldungan Castle but no effort has ever been made to prove this assertion. The defenders of the Castle are supposed to have retracted into this passage with their valuables and when the Castle was levelled the passage is supposed to have caved in on them. There seems to be no entrance from Baldungan Castle at present to this supposed passage, but the entrance may have been choked by falling debris which still remains concealing the entrance.
Collected from Mr Caffrey, Balcunnin, Skerries, by Mr Byrne, NT Milverton, Skerries.
From the 1930s Schools Collection of folklore, online at Duchas.ie.