Kilnasaggart
Inscribed Pillar Stone
Standing at 2.8 metres high the Kilnasaggart pillar stone is probably the oldest dateable stone monument in Ireland. The Pillar stands in a small enclosure in the townland of Edenappa in County Armagh. The Pillar stands at the edge of a graveyard that was excavated in the later part of the sixties, these excavations revealed both stone built and dug graves. There are several small stones lying around the standing stone and some of these stones bear crosses.
Click on pic for higher resolution image
The South East face of the pillar bears an inscription in old Irish that reads,
'In loc so Taninmarni Ternoc mac Cernan Bic er cul Peter Apstel'
This means that Ternohc the son of Ceran Bic put the place under the protection of Peter the Apostle. As Ternohcs death is recorded in either 714 or 716 this dates the stone to the early 700s. Above the inscription is a Latin cross and at the base of the pillar stone is an equal armed decorative cross inside a circle.
As you can see from the picture above the rest of the pillar stone is decorated with many crosses, some in circles some not. The North West face bears at least ten of these crosses.
Situated: From Dundalk head North on the N1, at the roundabout for Carlingford head for Newry and take a left at the next Crossroads, then right at the T-Junction, then next left then right at the T-Junction as you come to the next left turn the Pillar stone is across two fields immediately on your right, well sign-posted.
Discovery Map 36: J 062 149. Last visit February 2004.