County: Waterford Site name: BALLINDUD
Sites and Monuments Record No.: WA017-110 Licence number: 11E0253
Author: Maurice F. Hurley
Site type: Standing stone
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 669295m, N 608904m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.227146, -6.984817
WA017-110 is a standing stone located at Ballindud, Waterford, in agricultural land adjoining the urban area, within the municipal boundary of Waterford city. The standing stone became dislodged in spring 2011, most probably as a result of impact from agricultural machinery. The original socket for the stone was immediately adjacent to where the stone lay. The National Monuments Service requested that the stone be reinstated to its original position.
The soil was cleaned back for an area of c. 2.5m west–east by 1.6m around the stone in order to identify the socket. The soil was hand-excavated to the base of the ploughzone level. Five sherds of creamware/pearlware, two sherds of tin-glazed earthenware, six sherds of transferware, one sherd of window glass, two sherds of glass bottle, one decorated glass pendant and three clay pipe stems were recovered from this level.
The socket was identified and an area surrounding it was excavated to a depth of c. 0.3m, revealing two large boulders or possibly bedrock. A small amount of corroded iron adhering to stone, a quartz pebble, a lump of earthenware/brick, three sherds of Spode earthenware, three sherds of pearlware, a sherd of 17th-century glazed earthenware, a sherd of black-glazed earthenware, one sherd of a Staffordshire cup (with feathered decoration) and a clay pipe stem were recovered from the fill of the socket.
The standing stone was then removed to one side to allow further excavation of the socket. The socket was fully excavated, and the underlying large boulders were then clearly seen to be part of the bedrock. No finds were recovered from the lower levels of the pit, which was dug to a depth of c. 0.7m.
Within this rock a wedge-shaped void was revealed, suggesting that the standing stone was detached from the rock (possibly by ploughing in the 18th or 19th century) and was stood up in the place from where the stone had originated.
The standing stone was hoisted into position. When adjusted to the correct angle, the stone was set in place in the socket, initially propped up by timber posts. The trench was then backfilled. Final adjustments were made to ensure that the alignment of the stone was in exact accordance with its original position (i.e. west-north-west/east-south-east).
6 Clarence Court, St Luke’s, Cork
