Cross Chambered Cairn View all content for Cross

There is minimal parking space on the southern flank of the mountain at the bottom of a tarmacked track. The track is used by the services to maintain the large aerials on the spur that overlooks Newry to the south-east of the peak. From what I can see, using the older OS map that I have, this track used to be drivable for the general public, a bit like that over at Sliabh Gullion, but no more. No harm anyway – it’s a relatively leisurely stroll to gain the aerials and an overall height gain of about 250 metres from the parking spot. We reached the knoll with the aerials after a brisk half hour stroll, some of which is a tad steep. Views east and south-east towards the Cooleys and down Carlingford Lough begin to open up as you climb. On reaching the aerials it’s best to double back on yourself along the track that skirts the southern side of the knoll/spur. This leads to a boggy track that heads down for a bit and back up to the summit. Bog cotton fluttered in the strong breeze that had built up as we climbed, mirroring the fast-moving clouds that threatened to disperse at any moment but never did. The up-turned pudding bowl that is the central peak of the larger Camlough mountain spread is enticing, pulling you higher. The cairn probably promises more than it delivers. It’s very ruined. I’ve added it here as a chambered cairn but I would tend to agree that it’s probably a wrecked passage grave. Some of the large stones visible on top of the remains have that very orthostatic feel. I would guess that in its pomp the monument was at least twice as tall as it is now. The ‘desecration’ of the timber cross is highly intrusive and unavoidable. The views to the north, east, south and south-west are all fantastic. Gullion, the mother of all the hills around here in the ring, looms away to the south-west. I couldn’t make out its southern cairn so can’t rightly say if it and this are intervisible. Might any passage that existed here have been aligned onto Calliagh Beara’s tomb? Maybe. About 80 metres directly west of the cairn is a small platform that seemed to have been flattened out as some sort of ceremonial space – but this is just more speculation. I had hoped that Cam Lough itself would be visible from here but alas no. You have to head another 100 metres more to the west for that view to open up.

Posted by ryaner 13th June 2021ce Edited 4th July 2021ce

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