The above description is derived from J. Cuppage (compiler) 'Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeologi.cal survey.' Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne (1986), no. 863. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.Ogham Stone described by the Rev. Charles Graves (1847-50, 357) as; 'there is a stone in the churchyard of Kinard, in the county of Kerry, whlch might be referred to as furnishing decisive evidence.
This monument is inscribed with a cross, and the name MARIANI written in the Ogham character; and there are no grounds for pretending that it is less ancient than any other Ogham monument in existence.
Now, not only does this name, MARIANUS, which is equivalent to the Irish Maolmaireo, belong to Christian times, but we have reason to suspect it to be as late as the tenth or eleventh century'. The illustration of the full length stone was drawn by Hitchcock (1853, 105) who wrote the following account; 'One word as to the engraving by which Mr. Windele's paper is illustrated. I have myself seen two of the three monuments figured on it, and I can therefore speak with certainty of them. The stones at Derreendarragh are pretty well drawn; but the Kinard monument is not.
Not to speak of the inscription being incorrectly placed in relation to the window shaped figure on the stone, and a small cross omitted from the lower part of the monument, the drawing is too square and gives an idea of the stone being flat, while it is in reality of an oval shape. An engraving of my sketch of this monument may be seen in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. iv, p. 357'.
Nash (1854, 63-4) recorded the following details; 'Mr. Hitchcock informs us that there is upon the Kinnard stone a cross, which is not represented in Mr. Windele's drawing. This is a very important piece of information; because, though its absence could not affect the result if the system of reading employed be correct, it nevertheless by its presence strengthens that result, when, as in the present instance, the inscription turns out to contain a name of a clearly Christian origin.
That this is so will be apparent on applying to the inscription on the Kinnard stone the common method of reading the Ogham Craobh, guided by the observations above made; for we thus obtain MARIANI.
We certainly need not look higher than the 5th century of the Christian era for the date of this inscription, or for any reference in it to Druidic or Phoenician mythology. It is impossible to doubt that it is the name of a Christian, probably an ecclesiastic, as the name Marianus is a celebrated one in Irish Ecclesiology. The reading is so plain and consistent that I should have imagined it must have been heretofore published; but no mention of any such translation is made in Mr. Windele's communication. On the meaning of the curious symbol engraved on the same stone, which looks like a ground plan of some building, it would be idle to offer any conjecture'.
Stone described by Brash (1879, 217) as follows; 'Two inscribed stones are to be seen in the lone churchyard of Kinnard, townland of Kinnard east, and parish of Kinnard, about 3 miles east of Dingle. I visited this place July 25th , 1868, and found it a lonely deserted spot, lying at the left-hand side of a hilly road above the second hamlet, on the face of the hill “Ceann Ard” (the Head of the Height), Ord. Sh. No. 53. These monuments were discovered by Mr. Hitchcock. No. 1 is a flattish oval stone in section, somewhat similar in shape to those of the Ballintaggart group, being also rounded at the ends; its entire length is 4ft. 6in. [1.37m], it is 1ft. 9in. [0.53m] wide at its broadest end, and diminishes to 1ft. 3in. [0.38m], the narrowest end being in the earth; it is a hard, close-grained, dark greyish stone, of a material not found in the locality. The inscription is short, well cut, and perfectly legible, being incised on the broad end of the monument; there is no defined stem-line, the rounded surface of the stone performing that function, as in the Ballintaggart examples.
At the right-hand side of the inscription, as shown in the plate, there is a curious diagram that has given rise to some speculations. It is a square figure subdivided into four squares, the upper two of which are again subdivided into four smaller squares, all formed by incised lines; below the inscription is a rude diminutive cross-mark of two lines, and about 3 in. [0.07m] in length. The Right Rev. Dr. Graves, in a paper read before the R. I. A. June 11th, 1849, thus refers to the Kinnard stone: This monument is inscribed with a cross, and the name MARIANI written in the Ogham character; and there are no grounds for pretending that it is less ancient than any other Ogham monument in existence.
Now, not only does this name, MARIANUS, which is equivalent to the Irish Maolmario, belong to Christian times, but we have reason to suspect it to be as late as the tenth century." (Pro. Roy. Ir. Ac. v. iv. p. 357.)'. Ogham stone described by Macalister (1945,181-2; Stone 188 (No. I); 'A waterworn pulvinar of grit, 5' 11" [1.8m] (exposed length) x 1' 9" [0.53m] X 0' 11" [0.28m]. On the side an equal armed cross, with two similar crosses in the upper cantons, all in a square ; and the inscription MARIANI in good condition. The stone is now set deep in earth against a modern grave and the inscription is with difficulty accessible. From the top of the stone to the lower side of the square is a length of 1' 11" [0.58m]'. This is one of the inscriptions listed by McManus (1991, 93-4) to be among the earliest in the corpus showing no trace of vowel affection.
It may be dated to the first half, or the early second half, of the fifth century (McManus 1991, 97) MARIANI is an example of a genitive form of a Latin name, Marianus, also found on Ogham Stone at Rathglass, Co. Carlow (CW013-018001-) (McManus 1991, 113).In 2011 a graveyard survey carried out by Ann Frykler and Robert Hanbidge of Headland Archaeology Ltd. recorded the following details about this ogham stone (Miscellaneous No. 17): ‘A large rounded piece of old red sandstone (originally quarried from a beach) with ogham writing to side of stone.
Unusual inscribed cross to east side‘ (Hanbidge 2011, 13)