Thesaurus Indogermanischer Text- und Sprachmaterialien

Ogam-Inschrift: CIIC-Nr. 009

Ogam Inscription: CIIC no. 009

Original location: Aghaleague

County: Mayo

Surroundings: Field

Year of discovery: 0

Actual location: =

Illustrations:

Fig. 009, 001 Fig. 009, 002 Fig. 009, 003 Fig. 009, 004 Fig. 009, 005 Fig. 009, 006 Fig. 009, 007 Fig. 009, 008 Fig. 009, 009 Fig. 009, 010 Fig. 009, 011 Fig. 009, v01 Fig. 009, w01

Actual reading:

Latin Transcription: ...Q...A](M)[A](QMAR)[O

Ogam Transcription: ...îí....â](ï)[â](îíïâòñ)[ã

Ogam Transliteration: ...ëëëëë.......â](ï)[â](ëëëëïâïïïïïâ)[â

Direction of reading: du

Other readings, history, comments etc.:

Location and history:

According to Macalister, CIIC, the stone stands "in the field of the road opposite to Heathfield National School". This latter seems no longer to exist (by 1996) but the stone can easily be found passing by the road leading from Ballycastle to Killala, between Heathfield and Carrowculleen; the stone is then visible in a field to the right of the road, and the house opposite is named "Aghaleague" (should this be the former school?).
It has to be noted that the stone stands at the foot of a hill with a height of 788 ft. (according to the O.S. map) which surpasses every other peak in that area.
The inscription was not readable during a first visit in 1978 because of bad weather conditions. On a second visit in 1996 the stone was quite well accessible but it has to be noted that not very many strokes have survived weathering on the edge.

Size according to Macalister, CIIC: 6'8" x 6'6" x 0'6".

Published illustrations:
Macalister, CIIC (draft).

Reading Macalister, PRIA 34, 1919, 401 (quoted by Macalister, CIIC):

OTTACI MAQ GARA ...

Reading Macalister, CIIC:

MAQ-ACTO MAQ GAR[... MAQI MUCOI Z]
A reading MAQ-ACTO with ACTO as on the Ballyknock stone {92} is preferred as against the former OTTACI. The end of the name beginning GAR... was not recoverable though litchen was removed. "The top and sinister edge have been hammered away, leaving not a single trace of the lettering." The "lower part of the sinister edge" must have been destroyed by "a blow of especial violence" [cp. his figure]. "Further, the lower part even of the surviving line of the inscription, on the dexter edge, is fissured, and is so badly injured by cattle rubbing, that to make anything out of it is next to impossible."

Interpretation Korolev, DP, 59:

(MAQ ACTO) MAQ GAR[...
The first seven letters are badly damaged, the end of the inscription has been destroyed. It must be late (end of 6th century?) because of the apocopy in both MAQ forms.

Reading Gippert (3.4.1996):

Dexter-up:
...Q...A](M)[A](QMAR)[O
...îí....â](ï)[â](îíïâòñ)[ã
...ëëëëë.......â](ï)[â](ëëëëïâïïïïïâ)[â
This inscription is desolate. As against Macalister's reading, nothing can be made out of the first two letters of his first "MAQ". At the bottom of the inscribed edge, five scores can be recognized that may represent Macalister's second Q. Equally, of his "ACTO" only the last vowel notch can be made probable. In the middle, it is not easy to verify Macalister's MAQ; at least, the distance between the M score and what would have to be regarded as the A dot would be extremely short; the same holds true for the first Q score (cp. figs. 7 and 3). In the upper third of the inscription, Macalister's G cannot be verified; there seems to be just one M score. - There is no indication whatsoever in favour of Macalister's supposition that the peculiar shape of the stone might be due to a "MAQI MUCOI" formula having been intentionally destroyed.

Additional literature:

PRIA 34, 1919, 401: Macalister

Last changes of this record: 14.04.97

Copyright Jost Gippert, Frankfurt a/M 1996. No parts of this document may be republished in any form without prior permission by the copyright holder.