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Gigmagog’s Grave Ballywillin, Coleraine

This one is easy to find! In a field beside the B62 Portrush to Ballymoney road, just north of the intersection with the B17 Bushmills to Coleraine road.

On a very slight rise with good views to W & NW. This is a NE-SW orientated wedge tomb which abuts a modern field boundary. It consists of a gallery 4.43m long& 1.3m wide internally. This widens out slightly at the SW end to 1.45m. Two of the capstones remain in position, one 1.68m x 0.59m & the other 2.25m x 1.34m. Outer walling can be traced along the sides of the gallery, at varying distances out from it. The whole is enclosed in an oval cairn, 10m x c.3m across, although a mound around a thorn tree to W may be a part of the cairn, making the total width 7.2m.

West Torr

This beautiful tomb is situated at the top of a small hill between Torr Head & Fair Head (D21284063) It is a complex site (to me anyway!) but there appears to be a ?court tomb at the centre of what must have been an extensive cirular cairn. The views to Rathlin and the Mull of Kintyre are spectacular, although somewhat spoiled by the adjacent antennae! On the plus side, the proximity to these structures makes locating the monument much easier.

Edited: Research at the Dept of Heritage suggests it is a passage tomb. The cairn kerb is 19.5m N/S by 20.7m E/W. The chamber is 1.8m by 1.15m.

Image of West Torr (Passage Grave) by hashi

West Torr

Passage Grave

This beautiful tomb is situated at the top of a small hill between Torr Head & Fair Head (D212407) It is a complex site (to me anyway!) but there appears to be a ?court tomb at the centre of what must have been an extensive cirular cairn. The views to Rathlin and the Mull of Kintyre are spectacular, although somewhat spoiled by the adjacent antennae! On the plus side, the proximity to these structures makes locating the monument much easier.

Image credit: Ian Gillespie

Folklore

Callaigh Berra’s Lough

Apparently the Hag Calliagh Berra bewitched Finn MacCool. She persuaded him to dive into the lake to find her gold ring. When he emerged he had fallen under her evil spell, and had been turned into an old man with white hair. He eventually got her to remove the spell, although his hair remained white!

Goles

This is a superb row of stones next to the B47 Draperstown to Plumbridge road. They appear to be aligned with a depression in Carnanelly to the south.