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Aghmakane

Portal Tomb

<b>Aghmakane</b>Posted by ryanerImage © ryaner
OS Ref (GB):   J020253 / Sheet: 29
Latitude:54° 9' 59.25" N
Longitude:   6° 26' 17.15" W

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<b>Aghmakane</b>Posted by ryaner <b>Aghmakane</b>Posted by ryaner <b>Aghmakane</b>Posted by ryaner <b>Aghmakane</b>Posted by ryaner <b>Aghmakane</b>Posted by megaman

Fieldnotes

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Two fields in from the very busy Halls Road, south-east of Camlough, are the remains of what once could have been a very fine portal tomb. It's probably not one of the most enticing sites, but the fact that there is a relatively fine cashel built right beside it makes it that little bit more intriguing.

What remains are the western portal, a full-size doorstone and the stump of the eastern portal, abutted to the wall of the cashel. There are what looks like an amount of cairn material around the base of the stones. Which begs the question: did the cashel buliders destroy the tomb and use the material to build the cashel? And if so, why did they leave what remains standing? Or was the tomb already destroyed before the cashel builders arrived, and they used the site because they believed it a place of power? Or maybe the full tomb was there when the cashel was built and was then destroyed in more modern times. Or finally, maybe the remains are not those of a portal tomb at all. Who knows?

The views from the site, inside the ring of Gullion, are pleasant – Camlough mountain to the south-east, Sturgan mountain to the north. The ground slopes up to the west, downward to the east towards Camlough itself. Not the easiest of access here due to the traffic on the road, but still worthwhile.
ryaner Posted by ryaner
2nd February 2020ce