If you're into Ogham, ancient sites, or just love a good adventure, you'll want to visit the Drumlohan Ogham Stones in County Waterford. This place is a hidden gem, rich in history and mystery. When I visited, it was quite the experience!

Here’s a little backstory on how I ended up there, some of what I learned during my research, and practical advice if you fancy a visit yourself.

Discovering the Drumlohan Ogham Stones

I first came across Drumlohan in Daragh Smyth’s A Guide to Irish Mythology (1996 edition). He mentions Druids using Ogham for divination, and in the next breath, there’s a sketch of a cave entrance with Ogham stones in Drumlohan. Intriguing, right? But at the time, I didn't think much more about it.

[Did the Druids Use Ogham?]

In 2016, I moved to Waterford and started missing my old haunts like the Cave of the Cats at Rathcroghan, County Roscommon. I remembered the Ogham stones and thought, "I have to check this place out."

I Googled “Ogham cave” and there it was. I knew I’d visit someday.

What I Knew About the Site

Back then, all I knew was what I had read online: Drumlohan is located about 3.5 km north of Stradbally village, and is older and more complicated than it may first appear... 

"This is one of Waterford’s most interesting sites. Known locally as the ‘Ogham Cave’, it was discovered by a farmer in 1867. Ten Ogham stones  were found built into the walls and roof of a souterrain measuring 3.5 m long, 1.5m wide and 1.2 meters in height. In 1936 five of the stones were erected each side of the now exposed souterrain with just three remaining as roof stones. It is thought that the stones were pilleged from local cemeteries for the construction of the souterrain which could have been used for storage or defence from invasion around 800-900 AD. The site, which is enclosed by a wooden fence, is located out in the middle of a field normally used for cattle grazing.” [Source: Prehistoric Waterford]

Pretty cool, right? I couldn’t wait to go once I'd seen that, but it took me a little while after to make time for the trip.

How to Get to Drumlohan Ogham Stones

One rainy Saturday morning in July that year, I set out with my sister Jay for Drumlohan. We followed Google Maps to the site, but it turns out Google wasn’t quite sure where it was!

We ended up near a working farm, so we stopped and asked for directions - always the best way when visiting sites on private land. A friendly farmer pointed us towards a forest track down the road.

We were driving a posh Lexus (thanks to my cousin Catherine), but it wasn’t the best vehicle for the muddy, rain-soaked road. Long story short, we got stuck. Thankfully, the lovely farmer towed us out with his 4x4, and we were back on track.

The Adventure Continues...

Once we found the forest track, we parked the car and started walking. The first thing I noticed was a lone Foxglove waving at me from the side of the path. These Fairy Fingers (Digitalis) seemed to be greeting us as we walked deeper into the forest.

But as we reached a dead-end, things got confusing. There was no sign pointing the way to the Ogham stones, just a big barrier for forestry machinery. I felt like the site was nearby, but the path wasn’t clear.

We ended up wandering through fields for almost two hours in the rain. Jay, thankfully, is a whiz at reading maps, and with the help of Google’s satellite view, we eventually found the stones!

Experiencing the Drumlohan Ogham Stones

And wow, was it worth the trek. The site felt still and sacred, almost like a burial place. The stones, inscribed with Ogham, are set into the walls and roof of the souterrain. The atmosphere was peaceful, but with a strange energy of protection.

I couldn't quite tell if the stones were meant to protect what was inside the cave or the surrounding land from whatever was within. Either way, the place has a unique and powerful feel to it.

Jay filmed a couple of videos while I explored and even lay down in the souterrain to Journey to the Otherworld. The journey was an odd one, with the locals in the Otherworld seemingly surprised by a visitor. It was clear they weren’t used to company!

As I lay beneath the stones, I felt a sense of protection again - though it was unclear if it was the land being protected or the people.

Archaeology and History at Drumlohan

After my visit, I did some research. I visited the SMR Database (always my first port of call) at www.archaeology.ie, to see what is available in the known record.

On their map, we can see the red dots representing points of interest in the area. The top dot on right hand side is the Ogham Cave, which is helpfully marked ‘ogham’. The note reads:

“The souterrain (WA024-033004-) associated with the perimeter of ecclesiastical enclosure (WA024-033003-) at N contained ten ogham stones which are now preserved at the site. This is on the fourth lining stone on the W side which Macalister (1945, vol. 1, No. 281) read as: DEAGOS MAQI MUCO[I……]NAI.” - 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford'. In this instance the entry has been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

This stone has been studied as part of the ‘Ogham in 3D’ project undertaken by the School of Celtic Studies, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. To access details go to the following website: http://ogham.celt.dias.ie/search.php?ciic=281

There's also an ecclesiastical site which I hadn’t been aware was there during our visit, with an unknown artefact previously classified as a millstone in the grounds, and a bullán stone near the boundary edge.

The ecclesiastic/church site entry is as follows:

Situated on a gentle S and SE-facing slope overlooking a river basin to the S and E. This is an early ecclesiastical site, but there are no known historical references. Subcircular grass-covered area (dims. 40m E-W; 35m N-S) defined by an overgrown stone field bank (Wth 2m; int. H 1m; ext. H 1m) which is truncated at SE by a NE-SW field bank. There is no evidence of a church or that the enclosure was used for burial (WA024-033002-), but this is very likely. There is a cairn (diam. 4m; H 0.5m) (WA024-033019-) in the centre, and a millstone and subrectangular bullaun stone (WA024-033005-) of Old Red Sandstone (dims. c. 1m x 0.7m) with a single basin (diam. 0.4m; D 0.18m) are also at the site. An outer boundary of an ecclesiastical enclosure (WA024-033004-) is visible as an eroded bank (Wth c. 6m; H 0.2m) with traces of an outer fosse (Wth 4m; D 0.2m) SW-NE (diam. c. 130m). Traces of field banks (WA024-033020-) connecting the inner and outer enclosures were present c. 1980 (SMR file). There is a souterrain (WA024-033004-) with associated ogham stones (WA024-033006- to WA024-033015-) on the outer boundary at NW. (Kirwan 1985; 1987)

As you can see – the ‘church’ assignment is not definitive. But there is a cairn, and a hollowed (bullán) stone.

 Next up was an article from the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland by William Williams, entitled “On an Ogham Chamber at Drumloghan, in the County of Waterford”. In this, he speaks of local knowledge at the time (1868), claiming the church site to be... “an ancient cemetery, if not actually of Pagan origin, at least long disused, except for the interment of unbaptized children, suicides, and any others not considered entitled to burial in consecrated ground.” [Source: The Journal of the Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland, ThirdSeries, Vol. 1, No. 1 (1868), pp. 35-39]

He describes the discovery of the Ogham Cave, only a year or so before he wrote the paper:

“Mr. William Quealy, a very intelligent and obliging young man, on whose land the cemetery is situated, and who, too, gave practical proof that he is no stranger to the exercise of the national virtue of hospitality, directed his men, a few weeks since, to demolish the remains of the external fence above referred to. In the progress of the work they came upon a long stone which crossed the foundation of the fence; and having noticed some earth to fall into the ground by its side, they removed it, and found underneath a moderately large chamber, which contained nothing but loose earth and a few small stones. Having failed to turn up the much-coveted hoard of gold, they proceeded with the work of demolition, and took little further notice of the matter. Intelligence of this important discovery having been brought me a few days later, I visited the spot in the month of August last, and was agreeably surprised at finding that the chamber thus accidentally broken into was an ogham cave”.

Another research article, published by the Old Waterford Society publication ‘Decies’, issue XXVIII, Spring 1985; this is entitled “The Ogham Stones at Drumlohan, Reconsidered”, by E.M. Kirwan. On the Ogham stones, they write:

“When the ogham stones were discovered at Drumlohan, it was evident immediately that they had been used primarily as building materials in the construction of the underground chamber in which they were set. There are ten stones that have been inscribed with ogham and the question of the actual origin of these stones remains open. It is quite certain that they had been inscribed long before being used as supports and roofing stones, and it is supposed that they came from the immediate vicinity. The exact age of both underground chamber (souterrain) and ogham stones is uncertain.”

There is a detailed look at the Ogham inscriptions and translation opinions too (see below for more on this). Kirwan continues:

“The readings of the Drumlohan oghams show little consistency. The main difficulties have been due to parts of the stones being missing; not reading the whole length of the stones; but more frequently, the difficulty has been in interpreting the forms of the ogham genitive case. A shortened account of the various readings should be of help in trying to put these ogham stones into historical perspective.”

Ogham Inscriptions

Here’s a summary of the Ogham readings on the Drumlohan stones:

Not all of the Lintel or passage Lining stones have Ogham inscriptions on them, hence the gaps.

Local folklore, as recorded by Williams, suggests that the site might have been an ancient cemetery. Some even claimed it was a Pagan burial ground, later used for those not allowed in consecrated cemeteries, such as unbaptised children and suicides (so, in use as a Cillín).

He also speculated that the large circular rampart surrounding the cemetery may have been an open-air Pagan temple. That would fit with the sacred feel of the place, for sure.

Final Thoughts on the Drumlohan Ogham Stones

Drumlohan is definitely a special place. The blend of history, mystery, and magic in the air is unmistakable. Whether you're interested in archaeology, Ogham, or just want to connect with the energy of ancient Ireland, it’s a must-visit.

Make sure to respect the land, get local directions if needed, and always bring your sense of adventure - you might just get stuck in the mud like we did, but trust me, it’s all part of the fun!

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