stones historical ireland

A large flat stone, now leaning though originally upright, with a hole 6 inches wide at one end. It may have been a so-called 'port-hole' stone which closed the chamber of a megalithic tomb. However, the traditional explanation - as usual, much more romantic and appealing - is that it was a stone used at the dawn of history by Niall of the Nine Hostages to tie up Eochaidh, son of Enna Eochaidh broke the chain and took his revenge by killing the nine men whom Niall had sent to kill him. Up til...

Known as 'The Giant's Griddle' and recorded as such on the 1/2 inch O.S. Map, this handsome megalith is fairly well preserved despite forming part of a modern wall into which some of the cairn stones have been built. The chamber lacks at least one of its side stones, but the large capstone is still in position. A cupmarked stone is contained in the wall near the Griddle, and remains of a second tomb lie close by. This monument is not easy to find without asking directions locally, nor is...

A beautifully decorated cross-inscribed pillar standing in an old walled monastic enclosure, which also contains two smaller cross-slabs and the foundations of a number of beehive huts. Extensive excavations also revealed a 'founder's tomb' and a stone oratory preceded by a wooden structure....

This gigantic monolith is the tallest and most remarkable of several 'long stones' in Co. Kildare. Now standing 19 feet high, it was re-erected in 1934, having toppled from its tilted position three years earlier. Its overall length measured on the ground was 23 feet and its weight was calculated at 9.22 tons. A Bronze Age cist was uncovered at the foot of the monument. Many such pillarstones are thought to mark burials, but few have been excavated....

This tall granite stone tapering to a height of 23 feet is one of the finest examples of its type in the country. When it fell and was re-erected in 1930, it was found to have a Bronze Age burial at its base....

At Drumaquern, Kilraughts about 5 miles from Ballymoney can be seen the Chi-Rho Stone, the most ancient Christian Symbol in the Borough. The stone, which dates from about the 4th century and is unique in Ireland, has the Chi-Rho sigh on one side and a reserved Rho on the other....

A tall Standing Stone believed to mark a prehistoric grave site....

Though ignored by some guide books, this is a very fine megalith which unfortunately loses much of its impressiveness on account of the roadside hedge which threatens to envelop it. It has long been neglected and abused; a photograph taken in 1914 shows it defaced with auctioneers; posters; latterly it has become a target for religious graffiti. The bulky granite capstone is 8 feet long and up to 5 feet thick and rests, somewhat precariously it would appear, on four of the six basalt uprig...

Cloughmore, a 30-ton Granite boulder lies on the Mountain Ridge approximately 1000 feet above Rostrevor village. Geolgists describe Cloughmore as a spectacular deposit from the Ice Age, but local folklore has much more colourful story that relates to Finn McCool (the legendary Irish Giant). The giant got into a fight with his archrival Ruscaire , another giant, and they threw bolders at each other. This is how Cloughmore arrived at this spot....

One of the great wonders of the ancient world, Newgrange is older than Stonehenge, Mycenae or even the pyramids in Egypt. Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre is the starting point for a tour of Newgrange....