Ballywiheen is located 800 m (half a mile) south of Ballyferriter, on the south side of Croaghmarhin mountain.
History
There was an early Christian settlement here, also called Raingiléis.[7][8]
The Ogham stone was erected as a grave marker c. AD 500–550. In the 1880s it was broken open in search of gold.[9]
Excavations in 1998 turned up a stone lamp and flintscraper.[10]
Description
The cross slab (foreground) and ruined oratory.View of the church and burial ground.
Ballywiheen is surrounded by an enclosure 68 m (223 ft) in diameter. In the eastern part are the remains of an early drystone oratory. To the west are two mounds — these mark the location of two leachtaí (stone altars).
There is also a stone cross 123 cm (four feet) in height.[12]
Cathair na gCat
The name Cathair na gCat means "the cat's stone fort" (the "cat" referred to is possibly the "tree cat", i.e. the pine marten.) This is a stone fort (cashel) located immediately south of Ballywiheen Christian site. It contains two stone huts and a possible souterrain.
The Ogham stone (dated to the early 6th century AD)[13] reads TOGITTACC MAQI SAGARET[TOS], "of Toicthech son of Sáraid."[14][15][16]
^Macalister, R. A. S. (21 April 1898). "Ballywiheen Church, Ballyneanig, Co. Kerry". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 8 (1): 15–20. JSTOR25508468.
_-_geograph.org.uk_-_219843.jpg)
