Ogham Stones

Beaufort Village

About

This remarkable set of eight ogham stones hangs on the edge of a road outside Beaufort village. Wonderfully preserved, despite exposure to the elements, they date from 300 AD. Ogham is the oldest known form of Irish writing. It consists of four sets of strokes, each set containing five letters that are made of one to five strokes. This gives a total of twenty letters. Ogham was cut along the edge of a stone, usually vertically or from right to left. Inscriptions were usually very short with the name of a person and their father's name. Their purpose may have been for memorials, but no one is sure. Of the 375 known ogham inscriptions, 300 are of Irish origin.

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