placenamesBallymurphy
Baile Uí Mhurchú
Recent archaeological records identify reused rock art at Kilmissan and a charcoal-making platform on the Blackstairs slopes.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Baile Uí Mhurchú · Irish · main form · non-validated name
- Ballymurphy · English · main form
Place & story
A carved stone reused in a farmyard
At Kilmissan, northeast of Ballymurphy village, a carved stone was reused in a farmyard wall after previously forming part of a shed. Jean Farrelly’s 2020 record describes two cup-and-ring motifs cut short where the larger original stone had been split. Michael Fortune first reported the fragment. Its modern reuse preserved part of the carving while also removing evidence of its original setting. [2]
A platform for making charcoal
On a steep, wooded slope in Gowlin, Michael Monahan and Edward Butler identified a level platform interpreted as a charcoal-making site. Farrelly’s 2022 field record describes stone revetments supporting an oval working area about eight metres long, suitable for a mound kiln. A small ruined structure lies roughly thirty-five metres downhill. The record establishes their proximity without assigning a definite function or date to the structure. [3] [4]
Quartz in a mountain standing stone
A standing stone at Knockymullgurry has a prominent quartz vein visible on both faces. Claire Breen’s 2012 record places it below scree on the western Blackstairs slope, with possible packing stones at its base. Its conspicuous position is documented, but the record does not establish its original purpose. [5]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Ballymurphy. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Kilmissan rock art CW022-073----, field record uploaded5February2020 · Jean Farrelly, National Monuments Service
- Gowlin charcoal-making platform CW025-010----, uploaded25May2022 · Jean Farrelly, National Monuments Service
- Gowlin structure CW025-009----, uploaded25May2022 · Jean Farrelly, National Monuments Service
- Knockymullgurry standing stone CW025-005----, uploaded26January2012 · Claire Breen, National Monuments Service
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.