Mass Rock Sites of:
County CORK
Carrigdangan Mass Rock
This site is recommended by archaeologist Tony Miller. It is located on Coillte land in Johnstown which is heavily overgrown..
The Mass Rock consists of a natural, almost vertical slab of rock which is splitting away from a rib of bedrock and measures approximately 1.8m high. There are two circular depressions clearly cut into the slab which appear relatively recent in due to a lack of obvious weathering.
The second site is reputed to have been a burial ground, immediately south of the first site. It is a fairly level area now very overgrown with furze bushes preventing any access at all.
This site is also extremely overgrown.
GRID 22845 62029; 229m OD.
Close up of one of the holes.
Ballycurreen Mass Rock
Ballycurreen Mass Rock is situated in a gallery wood just west of Cork airport in the modern parish of Ballyphehane.
The Mass Rock is within easy walking distance of Cork city and the stream beside the rock was most probably used to guide the congregation to the site from Togher.
Mass Rocks were often placed near streams so that the congregation would not leave any footprints behind.
Whilst it is possible to visit this Mass Rock, it is not recommended due steep and unsafe access.
Ballycurreen Mass Rock is listed within the Archaeological Survey of Ireland.
Enniskeane Mass Rock
At the time of the visit, it was not possible to access the Enniskeane Mass Rock due to scrub growth.
It is understood that, in preparations for the Millennium, the local community in Enniskeane joined together to clear the scrub growth from the site and in August of the same year 200 locals were in attendance at a Mass officiated by Fathers Collins and McCarthy.
If anyone has any photographs that they would be willing to share of the event, or of the Mass Rock, they would be greatly appreciated.
Kinneigh Mass Rock
SITUATED ON PRIVATE LAND
The Kinneigh Mass Rock is recorded at the northern side of an old laneway that runs west from Joe Moore’s yard a few hundred yards east of Saint Patrick’s Well (Kinneigh Church of Ireland 2010 internet).
The Mass Rock site was inaccessible from the suggested route as the area has since been heavily planted with forestry.
The landownder was kind enough to show us the Holy Well pictured here.
Although the Holy Well is reportedly visited annually on St Patrick's Day, the landownder advised that it was always the older people who used to come but that numbers had dwindled significantly due to lack of access.