Standing Stone, Clontead More facts for kids
 Location in island of Ireland
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| Location | Clontead More, County Cork, Ireland |
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| Coordinates | 51°54′46″N 8°47′15″W / 51.91278°N 8.78750°W |
| Type | Standing stone |
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| Public access | No |
Have you ever wondered about ancient mysteries? In the quiet countryside of Clontead More, near the village of Coachford in County Cork, Ireland, stands a very old stone. This stone is known as the Clontead More Standing Stone. It's a single, tall stone placed upright by people long ago.
This ancient stone is about 0.46 kilometers (or 0.28 miles) north of Coachford. It's so old that it wasn't even shown on maps made in 1842 or 1901! This makes it even more mysterious.
What is a Standing Stone?
A standing stone is a large stone that was set upright by humans. These stones are found all over the world. They are often called menhirs, which comes from a word meaning "long stone."
In Ireland, you can find many single upright stones. They were built at different times and for different reasons. Some might mark ancient burial sites. Others were used for special ceremonies or as important boundary markers. These markers helped people find their way along old paths.
The Legend of Mushera
In 1944, a group called the Irish Tourist Association looked at this stone. They described it as a huge boulder, weighing about 3 tons. It was lying flat in a field.
Local stories say that a giant named Mushera threw this huge stone! The legend says he threw it from his home on Mushera Mountain. People even claimed they could still see the marks of his fingers on the stone.
What Was It Used For?
Experts who study old sites, called archaeologists, have described the Clontead More stone. It sits on a south-facing slope in a grassy field. The stone is shaped like a rectangle and stands about 1.12 meters (3.7 feet) tall. Its longest side points from northeast to southwest.
Stones that point in a northeast-southwest direction are often linked to groups of stones or stone rows. Many of these types of stones are believed to date back to the Bronze Age. The Bronze Age was a time in history when people started using bronze to make tools and weapons. This period was roughly from 3200 BC to 600 BC.
Visiting the Stone
The Clontead More Standing Stone is on private land. This means it is not open for the public to visit. Even though we can't visit it, this ancient stone still tells us a story about the people who lived in Ireland thousands of years ago. It reminds us of their beliefs, their legends, and their amazing building skills.
