Archaeological Inventory of County Meath

Archaeological Inventory of County Meath compiled by Michael J. Moore was published by the Archaeological Survey, Office of Public Works in 1987.

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All known archaeological sites from the Neolithic up to about 1700 AD are listed by category: Megalithic Tombs, Barrows, Cemetery Mounds, Ring-ditches, Tumuli, Mounds, Cists and Pits, Prehistoric Decorated Stones, Stone Circles and Henges, Standing Stones, Fulachta Fiadh, Crannogs, Hillforts, Inland Promontory and Cliff-top Forts, Habitation Sites, Souterrains, Ringforts and Cashels, Enclosures, Earthworks, Linear Earthworks, Rectilinear Enclosures and Earthworks, Field Systems, Large Enclosures, Churches, Crosses, Fonts, Sculptured and Inscribed Stones, Cemeteries, Mottes, Moated Sites, Deserted Settlements, Ringworks, Castles, Tower Houses and Gatehouses, Stone Houses, Town Defences, Roads, Bridges and Post-medieval Fortifications.

There are 1854 sites listed. Each entry has a brief description of the site with principal dimensions, the townland where the site is located and the national grid reference. There are only 30 photographs (in black and white). The book includes 28 location maps with unique reference numbers for the archaeological sites.

Mullagharoy Standing Stone

Location: Mullagharoy, Co. Meath
Ordnance Survey map 35
National Grid Reference N 946 803

The standing stone is just 1.3 metres high and stands in the middle of a field with no other stones in sight. It is not visible from the roadside because another field lies between the road and the field where the stone stands.

The Mullagharoy Standing Stone is listed under the category 'Prehistoric Decorated Stones' as follows:

"Decorated Stone - The SW face of this standing stone, aligned NNW-SSE, is ornamented with picked concentric circles and other designs somewhat anthropomorphic in appearance and akin to passage-tomb art."

The pair of concentric circles near the top of the stone do resemble human eyes (anthropomorphic means resembling the human form). We can only speculate whether this is accidental or by design.

Another decorated stone in the chamber at Fourknocks may also be a representation of the human face.