Ogham Stone

Ogham Stones are among Ireland's most remarkable national treasures.

Ogham stones are standing stones that are engraved with the earliest known form of writing in Ireland. Each of the letters, or characters, represent a sound in the early Irish language. Many of them date to between the 4th and 6th century AD and they are mainly found in counties Kerry, Cork, and Waterford.

How are letters written in Ogham?

Each letter is made etching a line across a central line. When they were carved on a standing stone, the edge of the stone acted as the central line for each letter. Most Ogham Stones have the names of people and were used to remember or commemorate a person or mark a place.

To read an Ogham Stone, start at the bottom at the left-hand side and read up, around, and down the other side.

We sketched Ogham stones and then we made 3-D models.