Tawnatruffaun Portal Tomb

The superb portal tomb of Tawnatruffaun is a must see if you find yourself in County Sligo.
The tomb which is also known as The Giant's Griddle is fittingly located in a very open clearing on a small rise.


The slab like capstone is close to 3 meters in length and it rest's on two similar portal stones 1.5 meters high.
One of the side stones has been removed but like the boundary wall built either side of the tomb it in no way takes away from this great site.

Tawnatruffaun like Ireland's other great tombs will keep you longer at the site than you probably  expected.

Unusual for one of my Blog post these images were taken of an evening time - most  of my site visits happen on the way to work so mornings tend to be the majority.  
So as an added bonus I had the  company of my son Daire, who got to see his first tomb up close.  


Access - The tomb is visible from the road, you walk across a field to the site. 
The ground close to and around the tomb looks like it could be quite boggy after wet weather.

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.

Ballinafad Castle

Located just off the main N4 not far from Boyle, the castle is known as the Castle of the Curlews.
The castle is thought to have been built around 1590 to protect the pass over the Curlew Hills.
It was modelled on a 13th-century plan, Originally the Castle had four storeys and four towers of which three are still visible.
This ruin is well worth a visit and has easy access but beware during the winter the field can be very soft.

Carrickglass Portal Tomb aka The Labby Rock

The Tomb consists of a well-preserved chamber with a large capstone, weighing around 70 tonnes, and measuring 4.4m long by 3.4m wide and 2m thick. It rests on four supports. The two portal stones at the front have a blocking stone behind them to seal the chamber. It has not been excavated in modern times, but Lady Louisa Tennison of Kilronan Castle may have removed cremated remains from it in the middle of the 19th century. It is called Labby after the Irish word leaba, meaning bed, and derives from the folk belief that this portal tomb was used as a sleeping place of Diarmaid and Gráinne when they were fleeing Fionn MacCumhaill.

The best way to get to the tomb is via Cromlech Lodge Hotel, you walk up through a pine forest (arrows are marked on the trees telling you which way to go) and before you know it you are at this impressive tomb.