Doagh, County Antrim
A well-known and adequately signed monument, this shapely Hole Stone crowns a steep-sided rocky knoll 1 1/2 miles north-west of the village of Doagh, to the east of a byroad leading north from the road to Kells. The outcrop on which it stands is heavily gorse-grown and the stone is only clearly visible from the top, which affords a 360° view of the surrounding countryside.The Hole Stone is a 5-feet high whinstone slab, 10 inches thick, tapering from a broad base to a blunt point offset to one side. It is pierced by a well-worn circular hole 3 1/2 inches in diameter, widening out countersunk fashion on each side, and evidently produced by artificial means.
It was formerly the custom for engaged couples to affirm their vows by clasping hands through this opening, whence its one-time sobriquet 'the love stone'.
The origin of the megalith is unknown, but it is possibly a relic of the Bronze Age and could have come from a destroyed tomb. In 1833 The Dublin Penny Journal printed a woodcut of the stone along with an account of troth-plighting commonly practised here; and Wood-Martin, writing in 1902, states that 'marriage contracts are still ratified at this spot as country couples go there to signify their betrothal clasping hands through the hole'.
It is noted that the aperture is too small to permit the average size man's hand to pass through, so presumably it was the prerogative of the bride-to-be to offer hers. A hole stone on the island of Cape Clear in Co. Cork bears a striking resemblance to the Doagh monument and is known as Cloch na nCealluna, 'the promising stone'. As a class hole stones are not particularly numerous, with only a few dozen examples recorded countrywide. Most are associated with long-standing folk customs of various kinds, often centred on healing and fertility rites, some of whose origins may date back to prehistoric times.
Other Ancient Stones in County Antrim: Ballylumford | Ballymacaldrack | Broadstone | Craigarogan | Craigs | Ticloy
Click here to buy the Appletree Press book from Amazon.co.uk. For more information click on: Ireland's Ancient Stones - A Megalithic Heritage by Kenneth McNally, published by Appletree Press.
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