'According to Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 380), this is Domnach Mor Maige Nuadat (the great church of Nuadat's plain (Maynooth), KD006-005001-) where St Erc, a disciple of the 6th century St Senan, was bishop, and the 'Donagh' (Domnach) element in the townland name does suggest a possible Patrician foundation. In open, gently undulating pasture immediately S of Carton Demesne, and separated from it by the Royal Canal, a railway line and road. A very poorly preserved large, roughly circular, outer enclosure (est. diam. c. 130m) is defined by a low, earthen bank (Wth 5m; H 0.25m) NE-E-S, with traces of an external fosse (Wth 7m; D 0.6m) between E and S. The enclosing elements stop at S where the site is approached and entered by an apparently contemporary, embanked roadway (Wth 6-7m; traceable ext. L 52m N-S) defined on each side by an earthen bank (Wth 3.5m; H 0.4m) which widens (Wth 8.5m) just inside the outer enclosure and runs towards to a central area (int L 28m N-S) occupied by a roughly oval-shaped graveyard (KD006-005004-) which is the original location of an ogham stone and which contains a medieval church (KD006-005002-), and which may overlie the site of an original inner enclosure (est. diams c. 60m NW-SE; c. 45m NE-SW)' (ASI database, www.archaeology.ie). The graveyard is also known as Grangewilliam, taken from the name of the farm it is situated on (FitzGerald 1903, 75).

Monument

'Limestone' (FitzGerald 1902, 268), 0.76m x 0.36m x 0.23m (converted from Macalister 1945, 30).

Text

Up-up, 'scratched in fine lines' (Macalister 1945, 30) and quite worn and damaged in places. There is no sign of Macalister's (1945, 31) suggested KOI after the initial name. Although there is space at the top of the left-hand angle for a final -I (NETTAVROICCI), there is no trace of any notches. The kin group name here (MUCOI TRE...?) is very uncertain, mainly due to spalling on the B angle.

Transliteration

NETTAVṚOỊCC/ MAQỊ MỤCCOỊ TṚE[N]A[LU]G̣G̣Ọ

Translation

'of Nad-Froích son of the descendant of Trianlug?'

Commentary

NET(T)A 'champion' (later falling together with NIOT(T)A 'sister's son' when both became Nad-) is frequently found as an element in personal/kin group names (eg. NETA-SEGAMONAS on CIIC 263. Ardmore I and CIIC 300. Island). The second element of the name -VRECC is probably OIr. Fróech, fróech 'heather' (Cf. CIIC 12. Rathcroghan I). The same name appears on CIIC 271. (NETA-VROQI) at Stradbally, Co. Waterford and on CIIC 202. (NIO?TTVRẸCC), Coolmagort, Co. Kerry and 'all may be variants of an expected *NETA(S)-VROIC(I)' (McManus 1991, 110).
The kin group name is very uncertain but it does appear to start with TRE and the letters NALUGGO would fit with the available space and remains of scores (cf. NETTA-TTRENALUGOS in CIIC 120 Monataggart III, Co. Cork) (McManus 1991, 177, n.12).

Locations

Found

'Lying under a bush, in front of Brain McBride's headstone (1754), in the north-eastern portion of the churchyard' of Donaghmore/Grangewilliam in townland of Donaghmore and barony of North Salt (FitzGerald 1903-5, 155). The original location of this stone may be accessed via the National Monuments Service Historic Environment viewer on www.archaeology.ie. (GPS coordinates -6.552921, 53.377091)

Original

Find location possibly original site

Last recorded

National Museum of Ireland (NMI Ref. 1931:291), Dublin. The present location of this stone may be accessed via the National Monuments Service Historic Environment viewer on www.archaeology.ie. (GPS coordinates -6.254558,53.340408)

History of Recording

Discovered by Lord Walter FitzGerald in 1902, lying in the NE section of the graveyard. It had 'formerly served as a head-stone to a grave owned by a family named O'Farrell' (FitzGerald 1903-5, 155).