Gortnavern Portal Tomb

Gortnavern is a stunner of a tomb and although the capstone has slipped back it is being kept in place by one of the side stone's that has fallen in.
The long thin capstone is over 3 and a half meters long and the two portal stones are 2 meters in height.
This tomb gives you many different shapes when viewed from all sides, and all of them are very striking.

Gortnavern's real problem (apart from access) is the gorse growing all around the tomb, to give you an idea how bad this is - if you look at the small image I was stood in the open patch just below the tomb " but I could not see any part of the tomb ".

Access"
This is where your going to have some fun !

This tomb can be tackled in a couple of ways, and both of them are far from easy !!
The way I found this tomb I could only recommend if you are willing to battle it out.

I saw no sign's for this tomb so I got lucky when the tomb was spotted from the car driving up the road.
I came at the site from the East which involved crossing a strong stream and then battling my way through some gorse to finally arrive at the tomb.
Leaving the site I could not find the part of the stream that I crossed at, so I walked alongside the stream back down towards a farmhouse where I met the farmer who very kindly drove me back up to my car.        

 



   

Beltany Stone Circle

Beltany Stone Circle is a site that looks big (even on small images), but it is only when you walk up to the circle you realise how massive this site is !!

The circle consists of 64 stones and may have had as many as 80 stones originally.

The diameter of the circle is close to 45 meters with the centre having a raised platform.

The site was much disturbed at the beginning of the last century which resulted in many of the stones getting pushed outwards.

Some of the stones in the circle have an average height of 2 meters along with the outer stone which is 20 meters S/E of the circle.

The site is very well signposted from Raphoe with a few minutes walk from the parking area to the circle.









   
 

Ardamore Stone Alignment & Standing Stone

Ardamore stone alignment consists of three standing stones, which is over 7 meters in length.
The tallest of the three is 3 meters in height with the other two just over 2 meters.
The alignment is claimed to be orientated on the setting sun at the Winter Solstice.  
The setting for this site could not be more stunning with great backdrops in every direction (on a clear day).

The standing stone is in the same field as the alignment and is equally impressive.
This beast of a stone is north-east of the alignment and is located in the bottom part of the field.
The stone is close to 3 meters in height and is 2 meters in width.
One side of the stone is decorated with art motifs, to see these markings click on this link to Megalithic Ireland .
Finding this great site is pretty easy I asked for permission at the farm and walked up the rough road (about 4 minutes).   

Dromatouk Stone Circle

Dromatouk Stone Circle is a great little circle that is well worth the effort of finding.
When you do find the circle it throws in a nice bonus for the effort (see below).

The small (but perfectly proportioned) circle has five stones - with two large black thorn trees growing inside the stones.
The largest of the stone is 1.5 meters in height with the circle over 2 meters in diameter.

Finding the circle is pretty easy if you approach it from the southern side.
I found a track that brought me right up to the field that has the circle in it.
I made my trek to the circle in the middle of Ireland's two week heatwave (yes heatwave and Ireland in the same sentence!!!!), which meant the track was dry and firm. This could be a different story at other times of the year as the land is very boggy in most parts.

The bonus you can just spot in the top image.
It is behind the trees to the right of the circle - Standing stones (a post of which will follow soon).

Annaghmore Portal Tomb

Annaghmore Portal Tomb is a small but very compact tomb, which can be found in its own neat little enclosure beside the road.
   
The tomb has two portal stones (one much taller than the other), two side stones and a back stone.

The Capstone is 2.2 meters in length and 2.1 meters in width (the roof of which has some very strange stone work), this all comes together to give the tomb a most unique look.   

My one concern for this site (my visit was early summer) is that it is being attacked by ivy in a few different spots, it would be such a shame if this tomb where to become overgrown as it has plenty of character.

The site is not signposted, but if your coming from the Longford direction take the R198 for Drumlish, clicking on the location/map tab will bring you to the tomb via Google street view.   

Magheraghanrush Court Tomb

Magheraghanrush or Deerpark Court tomb as it is sometimes known is one of Ireland's largest court tombs.
The tombs impressive central court is 15 meters in length  with a single gallery to the west and two twin  chambered galleries to the east end.
The overall length of the tomb is close to 30 meters, with Sliabh na gCaológ Bui making a great backdrop. 
Despite parts of the tomb missing from where it should be, with a little work this site would be nothing short of stunning (this would include replacing two lintels and fixing the broken one) 
Deerpark is just off the R278 parking leaves you with about a10 minute walk, the pathway is surfaced but quite steep in parts.

Derreenataggart West Stone Circle

Derreenataggart West Stone Circle can be found a short drive from Castletownbere, Co Cork.
What remains of this circle stands definitely with some jaw dropping background beauty.
Eight stones remain standing (nine if you count the stub of a broken stone).
The circle originally may have had as much as fifteen stones.
The diameter of the circle is just under 8 meters wide and the tallest of the stones are over 2 meters high.
The circle is well signposted from Castletownbere (about 2 kms ).
Parking is ok with a gate way opposite the site.
This circle although missing stones & with views blocked in some directions is still special so if your in the neighborhood Derreenataggart is a must !!      

Broadleas Stone Circle

Broadleas Stone Circle is for me the total stand out circle of the few that can be found in Leinster.
The circle is located only a short drive from Athgreany Stone Circle
The circle has 39 stones in total.  A walk around the circle will leave you in no doubt that other stones are missing.
The width of the circle is close to 30 meters, with the biggest of the boulder stones standing at approximately 1 meter in height.
I have no doubt what helps make this site so special for me is the trees Ash, Holly and Blackthorn.
These for me all help make this circle pretty close to perfect.
Broadleas can be found just off the R411 as you travel from Ballymore Eustace to Hollywood.
The site is easiest to spot coming from the Hollywood direction.

   

Kilfeaghan Portal Tomb

Located about a mile off the A1 on a farm is the impressive Kilfeaghan Portal Tomb.

The real star of this site is the massive capstone, 2.5 meters long by 1.5 meters in thickness.
The capstone is said to weigh around the 35 ton mark, it rests on two portal stones which have been driven into the ground by the sheer weight of this beast of a capstone.

The tomb rests on top of a large cairn (which was mostly covered in grass on the morning of my visit).
For a better idea of the size of the cairn check this link to Jim Dempsey's great Megalithic Ireland web site.

Access - this tomb is very easy to find and is well sign posted, a walkway is provided from the farm gate.  

Scregg Passage Tomb

All that now stands of this passage tomb at Scregg is this very small but very cute chamber. The tomb is known as " the cloghogle" and its capstone rests upon two side stones and a single back stone. The tombs chamber is about 5ft 4ins long 4ft 4ins wide and 2ft 4ins in height.