CianMcLiam

Bealtaine morning, 5th May 2007

The laughing stone of Mullagharoy

Panel 7 features cup marks in arced arrangements, this is the southern part of the 5m+ surface of the outcrop.

The slightly larger and higher step on the panel

Half buried in the ground on the burnt hillside, this partial panel has four cup and rings visible around a central cup and ring.

Two cup and rings, one in front of the other and some possibly very weathered stuff on the left.

Practically invisible except when viewed with side-lighting, the rare cup and rings around centre ring as on panel 6 right beside panel 5.

Higher level of panel 5 looking north east-ish.

This is panel 5 according to europreart.net, an exceptional panel though difficult to make out the markings in dull light. Three flash heads used in photo above to bring out motifs on both panels of the stepped top surface of the boulder.

The gorse has been dramatically cut back revealing the whole structure of what remains of this magnificent dolmen. Now is the time to catch this portal tomb in all its glory.

Tomb 13 and the moon

Tomb 7 and kerb under a near-full moon 1/4/07

Apologies to the farmer in the shed across the fields, I expect there to be reports of flashing lights and aliens probing an ancient site in Sligo today. ‘One alien was human-like in form and seemed agitated, the other was in some sort of mechanical or robotic form with three legs, communicating with a series of ‘clicking sounds’‘

Looking south west over the portal stones towards the low axial

A beautiful little circle in an amazing location, despite the haze you could sit and soak it in for hours.

Sunlight lights up the interior of Leabacallee wedge tomb, the information board says it is aligned to the equinox sunset so I had to check it out since I was passing! Only got ten minutes of sun about 45mins before sunset and light was striking the left side orthostats through a gap in the entrance. Not sure about this alignment but it was wonderful to watch nonetheless!

Lia Fail and the moon during eclipse, 3/3/07

After packing all my gear back into the car in the rain I spotted a long stretch of sunshine on the hills to my west and sure enough, a few minutes later in the softening rain some glorious evening sunshine broke through. If you look carefully through the trees you can see the rainbow in the rain that had passed over.

Cup marks and squiggles on a right side passage orthostat

Near the top of one of the left side passage orthostats is this circle of cupmarks with a central cup, two very eroded spirals or circles above.

The chamber of the large passage

This stone is to the left of the backstone of the large chamber and is profusely carved with comb-like motifs, reminded me very much of what I’ve seen of Gavrinis style carvings, a sort of free-form collection of curvilinear shapes. Very weathered but exquisite when brought out by light.

The carving inside Knockoe’s larger chamber is utterly fantastic! This is a small taster of a concentric circle almost hidden on the side of an orthostat.

It was shortly after this shot was taken that it dawned on me: ‘what the bejeebus am I doing up a remote hillside, many barbed wire fences, bushes and streams away from the car, IN THE BLEEDIN DARK!!!

Looking in an easterly direction in the moonlight

The south chamber entrance

Spot the face? Creepy!

The whole stone, elongated a bit by the wide lens. The top part is evidently very weather worn, visibly rougher and eroded compared to the lower section where the main motifs are found.

They way things were, Lissyviggeen in the summer, 2006. Compare with January 2007:themodernantiquarian.com/post/55094

Compare with the lovely sylvan view taken by Fourwinds a few years ago...

A long shot from the side of the road, the sun only decided to show itself after I had returned to the car and taken off my boots.

Looking out over Dingle Bay to the ‘Ring of Kerry‘

“Hey, do you feel like we’re being watched? It’s like something’s trying to reach out and grab me...”

Main part of panel, very weathered now, you’d walk right past it only its in its own sliver of land jutting into a field.

A similar view over the chamber and passage of Cairn H with Cairn L to the left and Cairn T more clearly visible on the far horizon.

The eponymous ‘White Cairns’ of Carn Bán, white once more (almost!)

Exposed chamber of Cairn H in foreground, Cairn L beyond and on the far horizon, Cairn T sits atop Carnbane East.

Looking from the southern (left) chamber across to the northern (right) chamber and its wonderful spiral-carved sill stone.