Timoney Stones

The Timoney Stones are a collection of standing stones forming a National Monument in County Tipperary, Ireland. They are found in the hills 8 km (5.0 mi) southeast of Roscrea, on the old Timoney Park estate, near the border with County Laois.

About 300 stones and five cairns were erected here, together with a stone circle. Of these, 121 stones survive, of which 93 are standing and 28 have fallen. They are scattered widely without any clear pattern, apart from some in threes, made of a tall stone, a short stone and a slab, some in pairs aligned N-S or E-W, and sixteen that form a stone circle 70 m (77 yd) across. The cairns have all been removed.

Their origin is a mystery. Some place the stones in the Neolithic, and others much more recently, in the 19th century. No excavation results or documented purpose are given.

Ireland is rich in menhirs, standing stones that are usually located in farmers' fields and heavily worn by the weather and by livestock. Menhirs are found across Europe, Africa and Asia, with a concentration in Western Europe, notably in Ireland, Great Britain and Brittany. Theories concerning their purpose remain speculative, with hypotheses including rituals, territorial markers and elements of an ideological system. Standing stones are usually difficult to date, because they were set up in many different periods of prehistory, which helps explain why the age of the Timoney Stones is so uncertain.

The Timoney Stones are found in the hills 8 km (5.0 mi) southeast of Roscrea, on the old Timoney Park estate, near the border with County Laois.