Scraghy

Nearest town:
Castlefinn (22km N)
OS reference:
H222738
OS sheet:
12
Latitude:
54° 36' 42.62 N
Longitude:
7° 39' 22.92 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Scraghy (Portal Tomb) by ryaner

Small cist/chamber 60 metres south-west of the main chamber.

Image credit: ryaner
ryaner
ryaner Mar 13, 2022
Image of Scraghy (Portal Tomb) by ryaner

The collapse has shattered the portal and chamber stones.

Image credit: ryaner
ryaner
ryaner Mar 13, 2022
Image of Scraghy (Portal Tomb) by ryaner

The large standing stone 20 metres to the south of the collapsed chamber.

Image credit: ryaner
ryaner
ryaner Mar 13, 2022
Image of Scraghy (Portal Tomb) by ryaner

Large standing stone 20 metres south of the chamber.

Image credit: ryaner
ryaner
ryaner Mar 13, 2022
Image of Scraghy (Portal Tomb) by ryaner

Massive capstone, tilted upwards from south to north.

Image credit: ryaner
ryaner
ryaner Mar 13, 2022

Articles

Scraghy

ryaner
ryaner Mar 23, 2022

This was a cinch after the mystery tour over at Tawnydorragh 3 kms to the west – you can drive right up to it. The tarmac runs out after about 700 metres from the main road but the track is relatively well maintained and we’re in a 4-by-4 anyway. East of here is the large expanse of Lough Bradan forest, about 20 square kilometres of relatively high ground. The track becomes undriveable at the tomb and continues up into the forest. Judging from the map you could continue along this way and bend around to the south and find Ally court tomb, about 4 kilometres to the south-east as the crow flies.

Scraghy is badly ruined. The collapse of the huge capstone, 2.4 metres by 3.5 metres, has caused most of the chamber stones to shatter and I didn’t even attempt to try and work out which is what, but judging from some of the remains I estimate that the tomb once stood over 2 metres tall. So a serious piece of neolithic construction.

Then there’s the over two metre tall standing stone 7 metres to the ‘rear’ of the chamber. What with there being little evidence of a cairn footprint, this is a peculiarity. It is, on its own, a fairly serious megalith, something that you would go out of your way to visit. Plonked here where it is, it’s quite possible to imagine that it was part of a singular monument, possibly a revetting stone at the back of the cairn.

Thirty metres south-west of the large standing stone is another small megalith, this time a small cist with just two small sidestones still extant. It’s in a very boggy, clumpy area and I did a fairly serious tumble back there. Even with there being very little growth at this time of the year, conditions were not ideal but it was good to find the little guy, huddled away back there almost lost to the world.

Scraghy was well worth a visit. I’m guessing that, in its ruinous condition, it’s not high on many peoples’ priority list. But the area, though very accessible, retains a wild and inhospitable atmosphere, a barely tamed corner of West Tyrone with plenty to keep the megalithic explorer interested.

Sites within 20km of Scraghy