A word on “The Poem on the Stone of Loughcrew.”

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I just want to explain the very unusual post that lies below this post. I make no claims to be a poet. I just believe that before pictograms became simplified into letters that they were once simple to read and indeed had a universal language that anyone could understand. I woke up this morning convinced that there was a poem written on this stone that is featured below and that it can be easily read. (There are better photographs with the pictograms outlined in white chalk on the web which are far superior to the photo I took.)

Loughcrew is a passage tomb in County Meath, Ireland.

I took the photograph of this stone that lies inside the cairn about two years ago. Loughcrew is about 5000 years old.

I have been immersed in Celtic tales for many years. Last night I came upon a drawing of this stone and went to sleep thinking of the images and what they might mean.

This morning I awoke with the thought that there was a poem on the stone that could be read in any language.

I wasn’t sure whether to start reading the poem from left to right or vice-versa. I stumbled upon the term ‘boustrophedon’ this morning whereby writing/ideas can be read in different directions rather like the idea of an ox turning the plough. As Celtic art features intricate designs I was drawn to that idea.

First I began looking at the water image at the top and then moved left to the sun image.




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.................This is the stone that I think has a poem (or two) written on it.


Next, I turned underneath the sun image and moved from left to right. I imagined the small dots to be food on plates, the cruciform shape to be the tomb itself; the sun with one of its rays broken to be the spirit of the dead king and the large image on the right to be a book of his deeds: a record of his life.

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Dropping below the book and now moving onto the large sun image I took this to be the king himself. I was interested in the eight spokes in this image; thenI stumbled upon the Buddhist ideas of the Noble Eightfold Path which is:

Wisdom (Prajñā · Paññā)
Right view
Right intention


Ethical conduct (Śīla · Sīla)
Right speech
Right action
Right livelihood


Mental discipline (Samādhi)
Right effort

..............................................................This is the entrance to the tomb.

Right mindfulness
Right concentration



I thought then of having a poem within a poem. An inner poem that would be prompted by the eight rays in this image, exploring how Buddhist principles could have worked in Celtic times. (I’m imagining that these principles to have pre-dated Buddhism. )


Then I was looking at the images on this line. There seemed to be two graves one large and the other smaller. There was also an animated figure at the far left hand side. There also seem to be representations of a star, the moon and the sun, which are in alignment.



The previous night I had read how Emer had asked to be entombed with the fallen hero Cúchulainn when he was buried. So with this ancient precedent in mind, I imagined the animated figure on the left to be the wife of the king who willingly joined him in his tomb.
At the bottom of the stone I thought there were boats so I incorporated that thought into the poem too.


Then I wanted a name for my dead king. I settled on Eochaidh Ollamh Fodhla; before I discovered that this tomb and this stone are indeed thought to be attributed to him!

Eochaidh Ollamh Fodhla I discovered after I’d already written about him was responsible for keeping records and updating genealogies at Tara. He also convened a parliament. So the pictograph that I took to be a book which recounted his deeds seems indeed to be very apt as is perhaps the inner poem describing his abilities.


Eochaidh Ollamh Fodhla was also a poet. Poetry was highly revered in Celtic times. So the idea that there was a poem on the stone seemed to have more credence.

This is the stone chair, the hag's chair, that grants your wishes just outside the tomb.

I was unable to find mention of his wife. However, the Goddess Bhéara (Bera) is associated with the area: a hag like creature of great age.

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Later, I discovered the stone I was interested in is the equinox stone in the Loughcrew complex: and that the sunlight shines on the stone twice a year.

So there you have it an explanation of the thinking behind: "The Poem on the Stone at Loughcrew" that is in the post below…

Perhaps tonight I will dream of chocolate!