The Stone Circles of Cork and Kerry

The latest research on the 60 multiple-stone circles of Cork and Kerry in southwest Ireland is reported in detail. Stone circles forever fascinate with their simple eye-catching circularity but spotting the builders' input of specialized knowledge is often not straightforward because the symbolism can be subtle, a consequence of the builders' adroit stone selection or clever craftwork and stone positioning. Experienced researchers find that many specifically-functional stones have significant outlines and heights, while horizon elevations and in some instances landscape profiles like paps or peaks are factors too. Highly rewarding has been identifying the decisive role of alignments to the rising sun in which distinct pairs of contrasting gender-suggestive stones portend the dates of the eight traditional farming festivals of the year. Furthermore, meaningful shadows are cast by the sun between many of these stone pairs. The sun was regarded and revered as a deity for being the daily bearer of light and warmth after the darkness and coldness of night. Because solar worship was universal across Ireland and Britain, the monuments of Newgrange, Knowth, Loanhead of Daviot and Stonehenge are introduced for reasons of objective comparison. The author's interdisciplinary analysis made use of anthropology, ethnology and semiotics (the study of signs and symbols) besides the customary archaeology and practical archaeoastronomy.