Glassamucky Mountain Bullaun Stone Co Dublin

                                         Above Image:  Nearing the stone.

                                           Above Image: One of the cups.

                         Above Image: The tip of the Great Sugar Loaf mountain is
                                             Just barely visible  in the top left hand corner
                                             horizon.

This ancient stone is situated on the slopes of Glassamucky Mountain touching a border line between Co Dublin and Co Wicklow. The stone containing 3 bullauns (or cups) lies recumbent like a sleeping giant amongst the heather. Bullauns are pre-Christian and most date to around the Bronze age (2300-600BC) but there is a possibility that this one could date back further. Was it placed here in alignment with other mountain tops and cairns or was it deposited here in the last ice age? Who Knows?  This whole area was part of a glacial valley as the abundance of rocks strewn about would attest.

Finding the Bullaun on the first visit wasn’t too hard but as it’s not visible from the road below, you need to find the track that leads upwards. Once up the slight incline which can be in places a little uneven underfoot it is easily found as there is a wooden post signposting the Wicklow way placed beside it.

This is an amazing stone measuring almost nine feet wide. Of the three carved out cups one is complete about 35cm in width, the other two no longer hold water properly as the sides have been worn away by erosion. The cups are designed to hold rainwater and water collected in them is supposed to have healing powers. Some types of bullauns have also been termed curse stones giving a more sinister aspect to them. Indeed if this stone’s position is part of an alignment it may have been used in Neolithic times (10,200-2000BC) for ceremonies. Whatever the case there is an air of mystery about it and the area surrounding it. When we visited it was a bright evening although there was a lot of low cloud about which just added to the overall atmosphere. This is a really interesting site and is well worth the short trek it takes to get to it.

It’s a little tricky to find but start by taking the R115 from Ballyboden via stocking Lane and continue on for approx.. 4KM until you have passed a sharp right bend at a view point car park and about 600m later you will pass by a sharp right hand turn. About 1km after this turn and just around a left bend you will spot a pole sticking up from the heather up on the left. Below it in the ditch alongside the road is a round drain pipe. This is the start of the track leading up to the stone. You can pull in on a wide spot on the left just beyond. The stone lies approx. 120m up the hillside.