Souterrain discovered on removing the outer bank at NW of an Early ecclesiastical site. Ten ogham stones were used in the construction of the rectangular chamber (Moore 1999, 151, 172-3) - five as lintels, which are now removed and placed upright beside the souterrain, and five as lining stones for the sides, which are still in position.

Monument

'The fourth lining-stone on the western side'. 'An unshapely mass of greenstone', 0.97m x 0.66m x 0.09m (converted from Macalister 1945, 276).

Text

'The stone was used twice, the older inscription having been battered away to make room for the later one. It began on the left-hand angle and ran diagonally across the top, and consisted of the name SOVALINI. There is a trifling uncertainty about the L, and the following I is lost, but the rest of the word remains. The N has become inverted by the crossing-over of the inscription to the back-angle. This name reappears in the form Sualinus in an inscription found at Silchster'.

'The later inscription runs retroversely (up sinister-top-down dexter), and likewise crosses to the back angle. Part of it is chipped away... In the gap there is room for the missing I and for seven other scores, which must have been B-scores or vowels. Three vowel-notches follow the fracture, after which come the last three letters' (Macalister 1945, 276-7).

Transliteration

DEAGOS MAQI MUCO[I ... ]NAI

Translation

Commentary

Locations

Found

Re-used as the fourth lining stone on the western side of the souterrain (Macalister 1945, 276) in townland of Drumlohan and barony of Decies without Drum. (GPS coordinates -7.465370, 52.163318)

Original

Unknown

Last Recorded

Still within the souterrain on site at Drumlohan. The present location of this stone may be accessed via the National Monuments Service Historic Environment viewer on www.archaeology.ie.

History of Recording

Discovered in 1867 and identified by William Williams of Dungarvan, but ogham inscriptions not fully read until souterrain was dismantled in 1936 (Macalister 1945, 267).