No plans to develop Boheh Stone site - Mayo County Council

The local authority has confirmed that it has no plans to either sell or develop the ancient Boheh Stone site, which is older than the pyramids

By Jack Good Published 25th Aug 2026, 18:00 BST ROCK ART Detail from the ancient Boheh Stone. Pic: John O'Callaghan The local authority has confirmed that it has no plans to either sell or develop the ancient Boheh Stone site, which is older than the pyramids Sign up to our Mayo Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Mayo Live within your account.

News is breaking this evening that Mayo County Council has no plans to develop the historic Boheh Stone site outside of Westport .

It is a development that will disappoint those seeking to develop and preserve the ancient site.

The Bohea Stone, or ' St Patrick 's Chair' as it's locally known, is an ancient druidic stone, entirely covered in cupmarks ringed by 250 circles, along with a scattering of the rarer keyhole motifs. The carvings belong to the same late Stone Age and Early Bronze Age tradition that produced the famous spirals at Newgrange , cut into the rock with nothing more than a narrow chisel of quartz or porcellanite.

Should 6,000 year old Mayo 'Rolling Sun' Boheh Stone art be better protected? Information vacuum

Clearing up what had become an information vacuum, the Castlebar-based local authority told The Mayo News that “there are no additional details available regarding any potential development of the land concerned.”

It also confirmed that it is “not in the process of selling lands in their ownership at the Boheh Stone to the OPW, nor are they aware of any archaeological excavations that have taken place.”

The OPW had earlier told The Mayo News that while it intends to carry out minor maintenance works at the site before the end of the year, archaeological excavations will not be required.

When asked if it was in the process of taking over the land in question, The OPW told The Mayo News that it is “unaware of any proposal relating to these lands.”

Stephen’s special winning streak highlighted by local club “The people of Mayo have been with me every step of the way” : Gena Heraty The state body is responsible for the conservation and presentation of over 780 National Monuments, which includes the Boheh Stone (National Monument No. 530). The OPW states that the land surrounding the Stone is already in the ownership of the State through Mayo County Council .

At the most recent municipal district meeting, Fine Gael councillor Peter Flynn pressed for an update at council level on an update on the inaction at the historic site, leaving what he calls a monument thousands of years old to deteriorate in plain sight while the paperwork sits unresolved.

Cllr Flynn’s request for an update echoed previous calls more than five years ago for an update from the local authority on plans for the site of the historical monument.

Emily Bracken is the daughter of Gerry Bracken, who discovered the rolling sun phenomenon at the Boheh Stone.

She is currently undertaking a masters in creative practice in ATU, which focuses on what can be done with the Boheh Stone, and has written to the National Monument Service calling for a ministerial protection order to prevent further harm to the site.

Emily told The Mayo News that there have been calls for greater protection for the site for more than thirty years, as an excavation thirty years ago highlighted the erosion taking effect on the stone, exacerbated by weather and people walking on it.

The Mayo News has sought comment from the National Monuments Service, which falls under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

For those who would like to learn more about this, Emily Bracken is hosting a talk as part of Culture Night on The Boheh Stone in the Linenhall in Castlebar on Friday, 18 September 2026