Bullaun stone, Bola Beg, Co. Wexford
Co. Wexford |
Holy Sites & Wells
Some archaeological features are notable precisely because they are no longer there.
At Bola Beg in County Wexford, a bullaun stone once associated with St. Colman's Well has vanished entirely, leaving behind little more than a footnote and an absence.
A bullaun is a boulder or slab of stone, usually rounded, into which one or more cup-shaped hollows have been worn or carved. They are found across Ireland, often near early Christian sites, holy wells, and church enclosures, and were likely used for grinding or ritual purposes, though their exact function is still debated. The Bola Beg example was recorded by Ua Dubhghaill in 1925, who placed it in direct association with St. Colman's Well. By the time the site came to be examined more recently, the stone could not be found. Whether it was removed, buried, broken up, or simply lost to time is not known.