12-foot man buried in County Mayo

Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at 04:54 PM

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Back in 1961 a headstone in a graveyard near Breaghwy House, Castlebar, made international headlines. The gravestone stated that 300 years ago a man in Mayo grew over 12-feet high.

The headstone weighed over 200 pounds and recorded the size of the giant.

According to the Connaught Tribune the headstone read “The above stone was found at Brefy A.D. 1732. The coffin of Genan contains a skeleton 12 foot long, Glenmask, Ireland, A.M. 2352, P.D. 702, A.D. 1681. This monument is erected to show the antiquity of the Irish character and the size of mankind in those dark ages, 1756."

This massive stone was found by the Irish Land Commission. Also on the land they found a second stone with Ogham inscriptions, characters used by the ancient Irish. The stones were both moved indoors and reported to the National Museum.

Of course the locals believe that Mayo men 300 years ago were 12-foot tall giants! However, the tallest man in recent history was Robert Waldow who was 8 foot 11.1 inches (see right, pictured with is father).

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