When previously at Knockroe (which I can see from here) I have looked at this site on the map and thought of coming here. It's a long trek and so I've always lazily put it off for another trip. However, I recently saw some pictures of the remains and decided to make a special trip to see this wonderous passage tomb.
At this height there are bound to be great views, but here they are special. I can look west to Slievenamon with its might cairn and also down on Ahenny. Northwest I am looking down on Knockroe. Directly north two strange pinacles rise up from the lowlands below. Northeast the peaks of two mountains just poke up above the nearer hill that forms a false horizon. East is the highest point of this hill with its dragon's spine-like ridge of jagged rock. To the southeast the view is blocked by modern plantation. The southern panorama is dominated by the Comeragh Mountains and southwest I can see the Galty Mountains along a wide valley.
Now to the stones themselves. I'm confused. There is definitely a central burial chamber and a kerb, which in places seems to be double, especially the southern arc. However the gap between the two sets of stones seems to be divided by others, so perhaps they were odd subsidiary chambers(?) There is stll quite a bit of cairn material here too, perhaps to a height of 1m in places.
All the stones are a pebble ridden conglomerate except for one, just outside of the kerb to the east, which is a large smooth boulder. This is set upon two smaller stones which make the top surface level. Is this an original feature or a later mass rock? It is certainly very altar-like.
The entrance (if my idea of which stones mark the entrance is correct) seems to point nor-nor-west, too far north for a winter solstice sunrise alignment - was this site aligned to the lunar maximum? BBeyond my wildest expectations I thnk I have spotted one soliitary piece of decoration on one of the stones by the entrance. A single circle motif carved on its inner face near the top.
From the very centre of the cairn several larger stones in the kerb seem to mark out some of the landscape features mentioned above. What a truly, truly great site this is!
Click Thumbnail to View Full Size Image
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_All Sites Visited On 7th August 2005 « Previous Site Next Site »
A Random Selection of Nearby Monuments
 Ballygawn (Co. Antrim) |  Ballylumford (Co. Antrim) |  Carrowmore Tomb 52a (Co. Sligo) |
 Seahan IV (Co. Dublin) |  Baltinglass Hill (Co. Wicklow) |  Aughnagurgan (Co. Monaghan) |
