The Legend of the Hole Stone - Northern Ireland

Have you ever heard of the “Hole Stone”?
Probably not, unless you’ve been paying close attention to legends arising out of Northern Ireland. Our Belfast guide James(AKA “Wee Jim”) recently shared this story on our Facebook page. We were intrigued and asked him for a photo of the “Hole Stone”. He obliged, and we’re now sharing this local legend with you.

Ireland Hole Stone History

The hole stone sits on a “fairy hill” in the townland of Kilbride off the Holestone Road. Years ago, the Druids used this stone with a hole in the middle to marry people. he ceremony involved the couple walking around the hill three times—once for the past, once for the present, and once for the future. The couple would then climb up to the stone and the bride would place her hand through the hole in the stone (the hole is slender and only fits a woman's hand). The groom would take her hand from the other side, and they would say their vows. Their bond would then be sealed by the Hole Stone: struck in stone and old magic, never to be broken. Today local people still use the stone to get engaged. When you visit the stone you will always see flowers placed there as tokens of love.

Antrim’s Holed Stones: Oath Stones of Ireland

Antrim has many holed stones, more than any other County in Ireland. This type of stone, known as an Oath Stone, was used for making deals. (Some describe them as being like an ancient credit card!) You could also buy cattle or land or perform any kind of deal here if you simply placed your hand on the stone and swore an oath. Up until the eighteenth century, a promise given at these Northern Ireland stones was enforceable by Celtic law.

Come with me to see this stone in Co. Antrim, and I’ll share with you an old folk tale called Tommy Gates and the Cure for Bad Luck. (Don’t even bother trying to Google it – some things need to be delivered straight from the Irishman’s mouth.)

Explore Northern Ireland’s Legends with a Local Guide

Thanks for sharing the legend of the Hole Stone, Jim! Any travelers headed to Belfast and the surrounding area this fall or next year would be well advised to book a tour with a local guide for more stories, sights and Irish experiences you won’t find from the back of a tour bus.