Coffin-resting stone, Milleens, Co. Kerry

Co. Kerry |

Ecclesiastical Sites

Coffin-resting stone, Milleens, Co. Kerry

On the north bank of the Sheen River in County Kerry, a flat-topped boulder sits propped on three smaller stones in a natural niche of rock outcrop.

It is not a dolmen, though it resembles one at a glance. It is a coffin-resting stone, a type of informal monument found at intervals along old funeral routes in Ireland, where bearers would set down a coffin to rest during the long walk to a burial ground. This particular stone measures roughly 1.7 metres long and just under a metre wide, raised to a height of about 0.65 metres, with two of its supporting stones fitted with additional pad stones to level and stabilise the surface.

Local tradition holds that coffins carried to the burial ground at St. Feaghna's Church were laid on this stone during the journey, sometimes remaining there overnight. The old Glengariff to Kenmare road, now disused, passes a short distance to the northwest, and it was almost certainly along this route that the funeral processions travelled. The practice of resting a coffin at a fixed point was not simply practical. In many parts of Ireland it carried religious and communal significance; mourners might pray at the resting place, and the spot itself could accumulate a quiet, enduring sanctity. The stone at Milleens sits in rough pasture among rock outcrops, which gives it a setting that feels less like a managed monument and more like something the land simply absorbed over time.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Coffin-resting stone, Milleens, Co. Kerry. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement