The monument stands inside the churchyard of the ruined (protestant) parish church of Aghabullogue (the townland is called "Coolineagh" by Macalister in Epig. and CIIC). It is remarkable because of the stone attached to its top; according to Brash, OIM 109, this had been called Cappeen (or Coppeen: 130) Olan "from time immemorial", while the monument itself was called "St. Olan's stone" (130). According to Ferguson, OI 92 (144.), it was "regarded as St. Olan's pillar stone" (the church bears the name of that saint); "the old cap-stone has disappeared, and a modern one has been recently substituted. The belief regarding it is, that to whatever distance it may be removed it will be found next day in its old place" (similarly Brash, OIM 130 sq. according to whom it had "the gift of locomotion"; Brash describes some superstitious practices concerning the monument). From the records it is not clear when the cap stone was cemented in the way it is today; in Brash's time "the present representative of the coppean" was "a coarse unshapely lump".
Another stone from the St. Olan's church is no. {105} which was removed [when?] to the Cork U.C. The stone from "Mount Rivers" (no. {122}) was only secondarily placed beside St. Olan's well which is not more than 5 m. from Aghabullogue. According to Brash (109), "St. Olan does not appear in any of our calendars, his name is not on the stone".
The entire length of the monument is according to Brash (130), 6' 9". When visited in 1981, its lower part could not be checked because it was under ground.
Size according to Macalister, CIIC: 5'2" x 0'11 1/2" x 0'6 1/2".
Published photographs:
Macalister, Epig. 3, (to face) p. 128.
Published illustrations:
- Brash, OIM pl. IX ("St. Olan's Church");
- Macalister, CIIC 1, 104 (draft);
- P.J. Hartnett, JCHAS 3, 2.ser., 1947, pl. 3 (to face p. 8), fig. 3.
Reading Brash, OIM 130 ("St. Olan's Church, No.1"):
âêéïîìãòñ::òñõãïâîíææâðääììðõíí
ANMCOR R MAQ GUUDDG TT
ANM "indicates the word Anaim, which signifies `to dwell, rest, remain'".
P e G a P
ANMCORREAMAQFUIDDaIBMuEATT
&c. &c.
Anm Corpimaq fuidd (e)g(u)ptt.
Latin "fuit, in old Irish spelling would be fuid .. the inscription then would be read as if qui fuit followed the name Cormac". This might have been an Egyptian monk who adopted the name of Corpimaq when in Ireland; he later became known as St. Olan, the "patron of Aghabullogue". "The Book of Leinster records Eolang as venerated at Aghabullogue. Under the name of Evolengus the Bishop of Limerick finds him commemorated as `institutor' .. of St. Finbarr, of Cork; and further, that he had the alias name of Mac Corbius. In the Irish life of St. Finbarr his baptiser is a bishop called MacCuirb. Finbarr died A.D. 621."
âêéïîìãòñòñõïâîíéåääììææææïõíí
ANMCORRKMAQVIUDD METT
"The fervent kisses of generations of devotees have worn away the surface of the stone and totally effaced some of the scores. It was exactly in the same condition when Windele copied it in 1834 ... maqvi - a unique spelling in Ogham. Udd and mett are clear, but the intervening space is almost smooth. .. On the whole, my reading and verbation is: Anm Corrk maqvi Uddramett." - The name Uddramett reminds of "a name of similar formation, Udhnochtadh" to be "found in the Martyrology".
ANMCORRXMAQV..DD...MXTT
"The middle of the inscription is .. desperate." 1X "is really two V's, lying on their sides, with a distinct space between the angles, thus, ><"; 2X "is formed of crossing lines, like an X". "After the V is a series of vowel-points, that look more like UU than anything else .. There is room for a vowel-point before, and another after, the first of these appearent U's .. If they were there, the combination of vowels would become IU". After DD "come faint traces which formerly I read RA; I am now inclined to make them GLO". "Are we to read MAQ Vi/uUDDGLOMETT or MAQVi/u UDDGLOMETT? I incline to the latter" although MAQVU or MAQVI would be an "unprecedented spelling". For the name starting with UDD-, cp. UDDAMI and UDDMENSA. "Can these names be Pre-Celtic?"
ANM CORRE MAQVI UDD[GLO]METT
("UDD- .. and the concluding METT are clear .. but the intervening letters are fractured, worn smooth, and covered with lichen: the H-half of the G is the only part that can be certainly traced, and all that can be said for the restoration suggested is that it would just fit the gap".
Reading Gippert (1981):
Angle up:
]C[ ]RREýA M(A)Q(V)[ ]D(D)[ ]MEýATT
]îì[ ]òñæòñõæï(â)îí(é)[ ]ì(ì)[ ]ïõíí[
]ëëëë[ ]ïïïïïæïïïïïõæï(â)ëëëëë(ççç)[ ](ââ)[ ]ì(ææì)[ ]ïõæëëëæëëë[
The beginning of the inscription was below ground and not visible. There are hardly any traces of letters 
between 2D and 2M, except a slanted stroke on the B-surface immediately below the M, which could represent a second M itself. - The gap 
between 1R and 2R would allow for restituting *CORBREýA, but there seems to be no indication of a B. - Every interpretation starting from Macalister's UDDGLOMETT is unjustified, given that this author's judgement was mostly dictated by the amount of empty space. If his V is right, we could think of a restoration as *VEDDEýALMMEýATT instead, thus yielding another example of the gen. of the name Fedelmid as attested in {206} as *VEDELMETT or on the Pilsworth stone {1972: McManus, Ogam, 72-74} as VEDDELLEMETTO (with secondary svarabhakti. Traces of at least an L letter seem conceivable, but 2D is not beyond doubt, and the space between V and 1D seems to large to contain but the four notches of one E. Should we suppose a second V in the beginning of the name? Like this, we should arrive at the following interpretation:
[ANM] CORREýA MAQ V[VE]D(D)[EL]MEýATT
Last changes of this record: 26.04.97
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. 
