“Perforated stones, very similar to the ordinary pillar stone, are found in many parts of Ireland, Scotland, and even, as appears from Mr. Wilford’s Asiatic Researches, in India. Abroad, as well as at home, their origin is shrouded in the deepest mystery, and it is not likely that the subject can ever be fully elucidated.
In Ireland they are generally associated with prehistoric remains, and are occasionally found in connexion with our earliest, and only earliest, ecclesiastical establishments. As has been already suggested what they were primarily intended for, no man can say. It is highly probable that they had their origin in days most remote, and that, somehow or other, perhaps like the “holy wells”, they became, as it were, pressed into association with Christian rites.” Wakeman, William F., Handbook of Irish Antiquities, 1891
The Doagh Holestone or ‘Lovestone’ stands high on the crest of a hill with commanding views across the Six Mile Water Valley in Co. Antrim. This attractively shaped stone, 1.5m high, enjoys regional fame for its central place in local lore and custom.Continue reading “Doagh Holestone, Co. Antrim”
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