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Megalithic Sites in County Down

An Dún · Ulster · 6 places

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County Down (An Dún) in Ulster features 6 mapped megalithic sites, led by Legananny Dolmen, Ballynoe Stone Circle, and Goward Dolmen. Across these 6 listings, 3 feature verified photography and 6 include mapped nearby public parking. Passage tombs, portal dolmens, and stone circles.

Showing 6 of 6 places

Legananny Dolmen — photo by The Dreaded Lurgi
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Legananny Dolmen

The Legananny Dolmen is a megalithic dolmen or cromlech nine miles southeast of Banbridge and three miles north of Castlewellan, both in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the slopes of Slieve Croob near the village of Leitrim in Drumgooland parish, between a farmer's stone wall and a back road. It is a State Care Historic Monument sited in the townland of Legananny, in Banbridge District, at grid ref: J2887 4339. This tripod dolmen has a capstone over 3 m (10 ft) long and 1.8 m (6 ft) from the ground. It dates to the Neolithic period, making the monument around 5,000 years old. Such portal tombs were funerary sites for the disposal of the dead in Neolithic society. The heavy stones would have been dragged some distance before being set in place. The three supporting stones are unusually long and there are slight traces of a cairn which must have been far more extensive. Some urns were found underneath. The name Legananny is derived from Irish Liagán Áine 'Áine's standing stone'.

Ballynoe Stone Circle — photo by Ardfern
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Ballynoe Stone Circle

Ballynoe Stone Circle is a complex multi-phase site, meaning its use spans multiple periods of human history. It is believed to be some 5,000 years old dating from the late Neolithic (around 3000 BC) into the Early Bronze Age (itself two millennia from 2500 – 500 BC). The stone circle located near the village of Ballynoe, County Down in Northern Ireland is one of around 1,300 recorded stone circles in Ireland, Britain and Brittany remaining today....

Goward Dolmen — photo by Tony Bowden
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Goward Dolmen

Goward Dolmen is a megalithic dolmen or cromlech situated between Hilltown and Castlewellan in County Down, Northern Ireland, two miles from Hilltown. It is in a farmer's field in the townland of Goward, in the parish of Clonduff. It is known locally as Pat Kearney's Big Stone or Cloughmore Cromlech. The huge granite capstone has slipped from its original horizontal position. The cap stone measures 13ft X 10ft with 5ft thickness and is supported by pillar stones nearly 6ft tall. Excavations in the 1830s produced a cremation urn and a flint arrowhead. Goward Dolmen portal tomb is a State Care Historic Monument in the townland of Goward, in the Newry and Mourne District Council area, at grid ref: J2437 3104.

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