Archaeo-astronomical ・ Megalithic Sites
1. CARROWMORE: The Largest in Ireland and the oldest in Europe, built around 4600-4200 BC.
There were originally over 100 monuments on this site including, chamber tombs, court tombs, ring forts, cairns and passage graves.
There are about 30 sites still worth visiting. The curator of this site proudly stated that this Carrowmore is the starting point of Grate Ley Line.
Great cairn of Queen Maeve
The tomb 19 is the largest of all the boulder circles some seventy feet in diameter with 49 stones still visible, originally there were 52 stones.
Knocknarea mountain can be seen in the background, on the summit you can make out the great cairn of Miosgan Meadhbha, which is associated with Queen Maeve.
2. CREEVYKEEL: Court ruin Anciant Ritual Site
Dating from the Neolithic Period, 4000-2500 BC, this site is one of the finest examples of a Court Cairn in Ireland.
It has a cairn, entrance passage, an oval court and a double chamber gallery.
The Tomb was excavated in 1935 and shortly afterward restored.
The Cairn is wedge shaped and the court (where rituals were performed) is some 50 feet in length.
3. CARROWKEEL : Astronomical Observations at Cairn G
The entrance of Cairn G incorporates a structure known as a roofbox.
The other famous example of roofbox is Newgrange which is aligned to the Winter Solstice sun rise.
Difference to Newgrange ：Cairn G is aligned to the Summer Solstice sun setting and the passage of Cairn G is much shorter than Newgrange, only about 2 meters long, so the Roof-box opens directly into the chamber.
4. LOUGHCREW Complex Cairn T
The tombs were built around 3200 BC. Cairn T is aligned with the Spring and Autumnal Equinox. The primary purpose of these passage mounds is to measure time.
The Loughcrew passage tombs, also known as Slieve na Calliagh, meaning “Hill of the Witch”. There are over 30 mounds and cairns, mostly on the two main hills.
Cairn T is the largest on Carnbane East approximately 120 ft. in diameter, this cairn was covered in white quartz the same as used at Newgrange. Cairn T also has the Irish cruciform layout with a large central chamber with side chambers, also similar to the mounds at the Boyne Valley complex, there are many inscribed stones.
5. NEWGRANGE 2 >>>
