Recently, we were contacted by a farmer in Skibbereen who has had years of bad luck. He traced this back to an incident involving a standing stone on one of his fields, about 10 years ago:”A bull of mine used to itch themselves up against the stone and one day it just toppled over“.
The stone dates back to the Bronze Age and is likely to have been used as a marker near a place of religious significance, such as a place of worship or a burial ground.
To end the streak of misfortune he wanted to re-erect the stone into its original position. To do this properly he asked The Grove of Anu to assist by doing a druid ceremony as part of replacing the stone.
The story of the Standing Stone in Skibbereen was featured in articles in the Southern Star, Irish Examiner and The Irish Times.
If you are in a similar position with a standing stone, stone row, rath, faerie fort or stone circle on your property, first check if it is protected under the National Monuments Acts. Anyone wishing to carry out work on one must give two months’ written notice to the Minister for Heritage.