Nellie Roche first told me about the Wart Stone in the Old Graveyard in Screen in 2006 and it wasn’t until 2014 before I visited it. The small stone appears to be what is known as a bullaun stone. The people I spoke with told me that the rainwater which gathers in the stone has curing properties and was always used for the curing of warts. This is a common use for bullaun stones and the one in the graveyard looks like many of the bullaun stones found in Ireland.   Bullaun Stones are mostly man made, carved and cut from a stone and are pre-Christian in origin. Ritual use of some bullaun stones continued well into the Christian period though and many are found in association with early churches in Ireland. Bullaun stones are relatively plentiful in North Wexford, Carlow and Wicklow. Closer to Screen exists a similar styled bullaun in the townsland of Riesk in the village of Blackwater which too is know locally as the Wart Sone. The Wart Stone here in Riesk is situated on the side of the road, however, directly behind the ditch where it lies is the site of an early church. Although nothing is visible now, Declan Flanagan from Castlebridge but living in Blackwater, told me that about the site. So here too we find a pre-Christian bullaun stone in an early Christian site suggesting that this site too would have been used prior to the arrival of Christianity. Another account told to me by Declan, involved the removal of the Holy Water font from the site of this old church in Riesk. Almost identical to the story of the font from St. Bridget’s Church in Ardtramon, livestock drinking from the font started to get sick and die. This little account highlights how story and superstitions were passed on from area to area as both accounts are identical in nature.   The wart stone in Screen graveyard is on the right hand side of the steps as you walk into the graveyard.

Wart Stone

Old Graveyard, Screen, Co. Wexford

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