Images (7)
Fieldnotes (1)

Images

Image of Birrinagh (Portal Tomb) by ryaner

Front on at the pleasingly handsome entrance, a consolation for the lack of an extant capstone.

Image credit: ryaner

ryaner May 11, 2026

The displaced capstone leans against the nortnern portal and the backstone. It is thought that there may have been a second, supporting capstone that held the primary capstone in place

Image credit: ryaner

ryaner May 11, 2026

Looking across the small chamber from over the backstone and out towards the front of the monument. Both sidestones have been removed.

Image credit: ryaner

ryaner May 11, 2026

Two portal stones, 1.7 metres tall, split by a doorstone, 1.5 metres tall and the displaced capstone, leaning on one of the portals and the backstone.

Image credit: ryaner

ryaner May 11, 2026

The back of the small, ruined portal tomb.

Image credit: ryaner

ryaner May 11, 2026

Another wide shot for context, looking roughly northeast.

Image credit: ryaner

ryaner May 11, 2026

The remains of the tomb can be spotted in the field down through the farmyard of a friendly couple in Birrinagh.

Image credit: ryaner

ryaner May 11, 2026

Articles

Birrinagh

Portal Tomb

ryaner May 26, 2026

I’ve been in the vicinity of Birrinagh (Biorainneach – abounding in coarse grass?) on a few previous occasions and never visited it. Like Drumhart earlier in the day, it’s not a widely known megalith, though there are some photos of it on the ‘net. It is marked on the OS map but isn’t in the Survey of Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. This series, whose publishing began in 1961, is still incomplete, though county Longford was covered in a 1972 volume with the omission of Birrinagh. Strange.

Spotting the tomb in the field below us as we pulled in at the farmhouse at the end of the cul de sac, we knocked and asked permission to head down. The gentleman farmer was very friendly and freely passed on some other, unconnected information that had me and my mate slightly flabbergasted. He was more than happy to allow us to visit the monument.

The stones look very rough hewn. Five remain – both portals, a three-quarter height doorstone, a backstone and the slipped capstone. There are no sidestones but the chamber continues to have that box-like feel found at many small portal tombs. The surrounding terrain is wide open, low hills surround the massive pasture field in which it lies. It’s maybe for the completists only – the megalithic wonders at Cleenrah and Aghnacliff are only about 7 kilometres to the south, but the rewards here are sufficient for the melancholic and pensive stone hunter.