Adventure in Kerry

I had to nip into Kerry today as Himself requested a lift at some point on emerging off the mountain after the last day of his four day hike on the Beara Way. There was somewhere I wanted to go on the way. First though, I picked up two delightful french girls who were in Ireland for the week, hitching with the most colossal backpacks and an ambitious itinerary. I did my good deed for the day and took them to Kenmare then retraced my steps to find the Rolls of Butter.
I knew they would be tricky to find for they are somewhere up in the mountains, off a minuscule road  which leads onto an even tinier road called the Priest's Leap and once you're on that there's no turning back.

After a lot of rootling (my GPS doesn't cover Kerry) I found it. This incredible stone forms part of a larger complex: ecclesiastical enclosure, old church, ancient graveyard, holy well and several interesting stones of which this is the most spectacular. It is known as the Rolls of Butter and is an earthfast rock, about 2ms squarish complete with several bullauns (man-made basins) some very large and some smaller. What is especially interesting is that they still contain their smooth stones within each hollow. The hollows are generally filled with water too, considered excellent for healing purposes, especially warts., In the centre a holed stone, possibly a quern, hosts a very phallic upright stone. The story goes that the local saint, St Feaghna, came across a local woman using this stone to make butter. Unfortunately she was using milk stolen from her neighbour's cow and the saint flew into an unholy rage, turned her rolls of butter into stone, then pursued her across the river, eventually petrifying her too!

All this fury has given rise to the idea that they might be cursing stones - you turned the stones in the basins anti-clockwise and said mean things. Alternatively, they may have been used as part of the rounds/pilgrimage which included the well and was made during Easter. Should this be so the stones would have been turned clockwise and nice things muttered.  Whatever, this is the most fascinating monument. See extra for its place in the landscape. Sadly I didn't find the well, but I did find Himself who emerged unexpectedly from the undergrowth below the layby where I was waiting; stung, weather beaten, damp and slightly whiffy but content.