Images

Image of Onagh (Portal Tomb) by ryaner

Just a quick zoomed update shot of Onagh portal. Looks like it’s in fine fettle, but more or less ignored as usual.

Image credit: ryaner
Image of Onagh (Portal Tomb) by ryaner

The house is nearly complete and the tomb is looking untouched.

Image credit: ryaner
Image of Onagh (Portal Tomb) by ryaner

Similar to the previous shot but showing the large digger on site. I guess with heavy, expensive machinery like that on-site that work would have to be advancing.

Image credit: ryaner
Image of Onagh (Portal Tomb) by ryaner

The red box encloses the tomb in this very bad camera-phone shot. This was taken about 2 months ago.

Image credit: ryaner
Image of Onagh (Portal Tomb) by ryaner

The massive capstone struggling to be seen with all the summer’s growth

Image credit: ryaner
Image of Onagh (Portal Tomb) by ryaner

Tomb on the right with mother Sugarloaf in the distance

Image credit: Ryaner

Articles

Construction site

I live nearby to the Onagh portal tomb, and have visited it a few times lately. I should point out though that a house is now being constructed on the property where the tomb is, which will probably make it hard to access the site in future.
At this point in time only the foundations are laid for the house, and it has been weeks since I’ve seen any workers onsite, but always remember to ask permission if there is a residence nearby, or people working on the property.
It’s a great site though, I hope to add some pics soon.

Folklore

Onagh
Portal Tomb

This is all very strange and interesting but the handwriting is so hard to read! Perhaps you can decipher it better.

Between this cromlech and the top of Knockree there is a ‘Giant’s Stone’ which has not a flaw in it.

It is said that the druids used worship here and here two kings held council when forming up and making a [drove?] to the top of the hill and down the far side and then up the valley to a fort.

Those taking part went on foot and horseback and it is said they went that route up to 30 years ago. Old people said they heard them regularly. Two men told J- S- that they used see bright lights under this cromlech.

The horses made a great noise galloping over the rocky hill and down by Lacken.

The wood of Lacken situated on the hill was replanted with young trees 80 years ago but after two years the ghostly route was mysteriously burned from the top to the bottom of the hill. Not a tree grew till it was replanted again 5 years ago.

[?] (says Mr J- S-) that half of the trees on the old route are now dwarfed and the other half are dead.

From the 1930s Schools Collection of folklore, now being digitised at Duchas.ie. Perhaps the Giant’s Rock is the impressive quartz outcrop depicted on Megalithomania. It’s rather interesting that Fourwinds mentions possible alignments at the site when there’s folklore about fairy/druids lines / ghosts heading across the landscape.

Sites within 20km of Onagh