Rathfalla or (Rath Bhaile – rath of the town) is described as a ring-fort in The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 – North Tipperary’.
I recently visited it as part of research for an article I was writing and discovered that rather than an external ditch which is the norm for ring-forts in Ireland it actually has an internal ditch which is more indicative of ceremonial use or a henge.
The diameter of the monument is 90m and the entrance is in the south-west.
bawn79
To the north of the tri-vallette ring-fort are two large recumbent blocks of stone.
In the older OS letters they are described as the remains of a druids altar however in the latest description they are described as “gateways” and “Listed in the SMR (1992) and RMP (1998) as piers. These gatepiers are located in the field NE of Rathurles ringfort (TN021-012001). They consist of two large recumbent limestone blocks fomerly used as gatepiers to mark the entrance to the ringfort and are likely to be of nineteenth-century date.”
On the old 6” OS maps of the 1840s they are described as “remarkable stones”.
To me I’m not sure how they could be described as gate-posts to a ring-fort and I’ve been trying to identify where this newer description came from. There those appear to have been some work done to the stones and at what date this was completed I don’t know. However where these large stones are now located is not near any existing or old field entrance. Why someone would move them to this position I don’t know. It seems to me more likely that they are in their original position?
The ring-fort itself is known as “the fair of munster or Ormond” (Ormond comes from the irish for north munster) or an old aonach site. Seemingly it is the reason why the town of Nenagh is located where it is. The thinking being that when the Norman settlers arrived they moved it to a new location.
The 6 stone row is located in the breathtaking Leenane valley in Connemara (near Kylemore Abbey). The scenery here really has to be seen to be believed.
The row is located up a road with a sign marked “private road”. I knew it was unlikely I’d be in these parts again so I decided I would drive up and see if there was anyone around to ask permission to view the stone row.
I came to a farm gate near some out-buildings and just as I was about to leave I was lucky enough to meet who I presume where the owners of the land, two nice sheep farmers – probably a father and son who granted me access.
The stone row itself is lovely with smooth rounded stones. It was misty the day I visited and I can only imagine how much more beautiful the setting would be on a clear day.
To top it all off the row is likely to be aligned to the winter solstice sun-set behind the high mountains here, likely to be around 1.30pm in the afternoon.
This is a newly discovered panel of cup-marks in Ireland and the first confirmed panel of rock-art in the Tipperary and also for a large area in every direction (approximately 80km2).
It is adjacent to a standing stone pair and a large bowl barrow. On a previous visit to the stone pair in 2005, the rock outcrop was covered with grass. However on a visit in March 2014 the grass covering had been eroded away and it was immediately clear that the stone was cup-marked. It was also noted that there were similar cup-marks on the eastern stone of the nearby stone pair. There are expansive views to the west (where Lough Derg is located) and also to the south-west, south and south-east.
To the north the view is limited by rising ground. The hill of Laghtea to the south-west seems to
dominate the landscape from the cup marked panel and this hill was identified as the location of a hill-fort by Tom Condit in 1995. Unusually there are no views of Lough Derg from the panel.
Funnily enough I remember posting here on TMA about possible cup-marks on the standing stone.
The mound at Barnane is very hard to access. It is within a private horse training complex.
I managed to get in on the 21st June 2014 to watch the sun setting from the mound. I had hoped that the sun would set within the Gap of Barnane or “The Devils Bit” that evening. Unfortunately as per the photo it does not appear to set within the gap.
The mound is overgrown with scrub and furze. It is also known as a “Fairy mound”. Another megalithic tomb / boulder burial is 70m away to the east. Originally the mound is thought to have been 20m in diameter. A large boulder in the north-west of the mound is thought to indicate that a megalithic tomb is located within it. It is thought to be similar in morphology as the megalithic tombs at Ardcroney.
This stone row is a few kms from the village of Letterfrack in Galway. It is located on a ridge of a boggy hill only approximately 200m from the road. The stone row itself is a fine example, it tapers from south-west to north-east with the first three stones being sharp rectangular stones. The fourth stone is a rounded smooth stone and then the final two are very small smooth stones. The day I visited was very misty and so unfortunately I couldn’t take in all the views. However through the mist I could make-out the recumbent figure of the island of inisbofin to the north-west. (seen from a different site in the vicinity megalithomania.com/show/image/4291/cleggan.htm)
The stone row is thought to be aligned to the winter solstice sunset. However the sunsets here at 1.30pm in the afternoon due to the varying heights of the location of the stone row and the mountains around.
When I was exiting the field, a farmer told me that I shouldn’t be on the land as their was a “no-entry” sign. The sign is very hard to see so anyone attempting to access should be aware of this.
Translated as Friaochs carn, it was the inaugeration site of the O’Connor clan in Connaught.
From Wikipedia
It is a small mound about one and a half meters high that sinks slightly at the top and is covered on one side by a dressing of stone. Up until the mid-nineteenth century a proclamation stone stood nearby that featured two sunken footprints, the stone now resides at Clonalis House near Castlerea.
Regarding the inaugeration stone archaeology.ie has this to say
When a portion was broken off the inauguration stone of the O’Conor kings at Carnfree (RO028-69001-) it was moved to the avenue of Cargin House near Tulsk c. 1840 by Daniel Kelly to prevent further damage by quarrying at the original site (Jones 1922-3). It has since been moved to the grounds of Clonalis House in the 1970s, although its authenticity is doubtful (FitzPatrick 2004, 113-5). Roughly rectangular limestone block (dims. of base 0.8m x 0.4m; H 0.45-0.55m) with a subrectangular upper surface (dims. 0.9m x 0.35-0.6m) which has an oval hollow (dims. 0.3 x 0.1m; D 0.7m) divided in two by a ridge at the base to represent a footprint.
Here is an aerial view of the bowl barrow and the unusual water feature to the west of it.
Taken from archaeology.ie
On a slight rise of the broad WNW-ESE ridge of Carnfree. It has been re-identified as Carn Lamha (FitzPatrick 2004, 65). Circular, conical and grass-covered mound (diam. of base 16m.3m N-S; H 3.5m) surrounded by a slight berm (Wth 1-1.2m) and fosse (Wth of top 5.5-9m; D 0.3m) (max. ext. diam. 35m N-S). There are also slight traces of an outer bank S-W, but this may be a field bank. The barrow is contained within a triangular area defined by field banks of the field system (RO028-056----). Ditch-barrows (RO028-071----; RO028-072001-; RO028-073----) are c. 60m to the W, c. 60m th the SSW and c. 90m SE respectively. (Herity 1983, 126-7; Waddell 1988, 15-6)
Broken & fallen standing stone.
From Archaeology.ie
At the crest of the N-facing slope of a WNW-ESE ridge, c. 250m N of the broad WNW-ESE ridge of Carnfree. A limestone slab (L 3.7m; Wth 0.35-1m; T c. 0.25-0.45m) is lying prone and broken in two, 40m E of the ring-barrow
Taken from Archaeology.ie
At the crest of a N-facing slope of a WNW-ESE ridge, c. 250m N of the broad WNW-ESE ridge of Carnfree, and a little S of the centre of ring-barrow (RO028-068001-). Limestone upright with a rectangular cross-section (dims. 0.5m x 0.4m) which expands over the grass-line and is aligned E-W. It has a pointed top (H 3.2m).
Also known as Cloch Fada na gCarn or the longstone of cairns, it rests within a barrow. On the wiki page for Carnfree en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnfree it compares this barrow and standing stone with some of the features on the hill of tara.
Although this site is on private property, it has an information board etc and as such I would think that there is no issue with access.
If you happen to be going from Athlone to the Northwest this is a nice place to stop off on the way. It is one of only three la tene style stones in ireland.
It was not found near any other sites and with very little context so you have to wonder where it came from.
I have to agree with Ryaner below about this being one of the most impressive sites in the Burren.
It is similar to Dun Aeognus on the Aran Islands in that it uses a cliff face as a natural defence to the north.
Here is a link to an aerial view on Bing Maps to get a better idea of its plan binged.it/13C2kNd
I seem to recall that the valley to the north of it acted as an east – west transport link across the Burren so this would have been a controlling point on this route.
This site is described as “stone circles” in Topographical Notes on the Barony of Coshlea, Co. Limerick, including Lackelly, the Lake District, Cenn Abrat, Claire, Tara Luachra, &c. by
P. J. Lynch (1920) RSAI
Rev Lynch, who from his paper I believe only viewed photos of the “circles” described them as follows ;
“The discovery of the stone circles on the eastern end of Slievereagh induced some writers to identify them as the remains of the residence or burial place of Olioll Olum.” we skip on to “When I prepared the first plan of these circles I described them as probably two concentric circles outside the remains of a dolmen or cairn. I have given the question further consideration and changed my opinion somewhat. I have completed the outer circle (about 45 feet in diameter), when complete, could have rested within the “Benches” while the second “circle” and the stones inside of it, mark the base of a cairn about 26 feet in diameter, enclosing the tomb, of which the inner stones formed part.
There is no “Cromlech” (marked on OS Map) on the mountain. There are several blocks of stone resting on the rocky surface of the mountain; but as Dr. Fogerty writes “if a Cromleac is something built by human hands, there is none”"
He then goes on to give a plan of the stone circles. If anyone has access to JSTOR you can find the plan here jstor.org/stable/25514569?seq=17.
However from looking at the remains up there I would say that the best these circles could be is the kerb of a cairn. Even at that most of the stones up here look to be naturally placed rather.
The notice board in Glenbrohane mentions that the “King’s Chair” can be found amonst the rocks of the cairn. I’m not sure which stones they refer to but I’ve taken a photo of what I thought looked most chair like.
The walk to the top follows a marked path for a lot of it and then swings off on a forestry path up to the antena on top. Views from here are great into the plains of Limerick to the north.
This standing stone is only about 400mm high and is very unimpressive. You would have to wonder about it possibly being a broken scratching post or something like that. The only thing in its support is the two larger stone in the vicinity.
You can just make out the pilon where the other stone is located in the distance.
I spotted the other large standing stone in this townland by accident while driving by but did not spot this one until I saw it on Philip Powells website. Its a tall (approx 1.6m high) “sail shaped” stone.
The power- pilon above it is a real contrast. Surprisingly this stone doesnt appear on the either of the 1840s survey maps.
I always thought I knew about a lot of the limerick having travelled most by-roads looking for stones and also driving around it with work.
However I never spotted this “megalithic structure” as it is described on www.archaeology.ie until i saw it on Philip Powells website.
It looks like the remains of either a cist or some part of a megalithic tomb. Locally its know as the cromlech. However even the local information board located in Glenbrohane gives very little info about it other than US Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith visited it in 1997! Hope they took her to see a few other sites as well.
I was under the impression that this bullaun stone had only been rediscovered in the last few years. However this map visitclare.net/gfx/HImonastic.jpg relating to Macalister shows it clearly and I under this dates back to 1916-17.
I’ve grew up on the other side of the lake and some of my early memories are of heading out to picnics on this island.
However it was only last year when I got a boat over, from local tour Mountshannon guide Ger Madden (he gave me a lovely tour pamplet to review which showed this bullaun) that I knew of this particular bullaun.
From the eastern landing site you will need wellies to walk along the shore-line until you come to this bullaun.
Again Broadford is probably your closest town. This tomb is in a long forestry track. I wouldn’t recommend it in an ordinary car. Again I visited this as part of the May 2011 megameet.
The tomb itself is in good condition and there appears to be remains of the mound surrounding the tomb also. It is approx 3.5m long by 1.5m wide.
I visited this as part of a mini megalithomeet in May 2011. Megalithic enthusist Marianne had taken it upon herself to clean up this tomb and that is why it was in such great shape in this photo.
It is relatively easy to find, it is about two small fields in from the road climbing over a set of gates. There is a good bit of room to park at the gateway entrance.
The tomb itself is about 4-5 metres long by approx 1.5m high.
From the North Tipp Archaeological Inventory “Description: Situated in a modern coniferous plantation on a SW-facing slope of poorly drained land in an upland region with good views in all directions. An impressive standing stone (H 1.9m; 0.98m x 0.47m) which is rectangular in plan and shape with its long axis orientated NW-SE and tapering towards the top.”
This is a very hard standing stone to find. It is situated in a clearing in the middle of a coniferous forestry plantation. It took me two very wet attempts at finding but is well worth it. As you can see in the pictures the top of the stone is tapered. Due to the trees all around we can’t see whether this “tapering” is addressing anything in particular but I would suggest that it is likely to be pointing towards the Maherslieve mt which would be viewable from here. The majority of the wedge-tombs in this area are in view of the Mothers Mountain or Maherslieve.
As above the stone itself is almost 2m high.
Another site in impressive surrounds. This standing stone at the end of a road that is a cul de sac up in these mountains. There is a viewing sport with a carpark and the stone is less than 500m from the standing stone. I understand there is some very beautiful scenery in the hills around here for hill-walking.
This impressively situated pair of standing stones are at the end of a track leading from a sheep farmers farmyard / house. This is real sheep farming company so not really the kind of place for bringing a dog.
The standing stones are both about 1.8m high. On fourwinds website it reckons it found signs of an unrecorded stone circle in the vicinity.
A small (in height) stone row of redish sandstone (I think). It may be that some of the height is lost in the bog below. It is signposted from the nearby stone circle.
This stone circle is situated in the beautiful Nire Valley. The Valley is a real hidden gem south of Clonmel town. The drive from the Bulmers factory in Clonmel over the mountains down into the valley is like being transported to another world only 10 minutes from (relative) civilisation.
There is a forest path all the way to the circle is it is easy to find. Im not sure if I would drive all the way in, I parked at the edge of the forestry and walked about 15mins to it.
This site seems to be visited quite a bit from the fire that had been made in the middle of it. You may not want to meet the people that did this.
Excavation at this circle showed that this was probably a circle of 11 or 13 stonees but not all the sockets were identified during the excavation.
The track here is part of the ‘Old Green Road’, I only walked the part here but if all the views are as breathtaking as up here it is a walk Id definitely recommend. There is a fabulous rock outcrop here with views down into the bay underneath.
As Ken says this stone circle is harder to find than it looks. I had been using the TME for directions and they are fine until you come close to it. There is no carpark or sign-posts. In fact at one track up it says the stone circle is closed to the public. I used the Kerry Way and then vered off towards it when I got closer. There were a number of cows up here when I visited so be wary of that.
The stone circle is fantastic and well worth the journey. Probably one of the best preserved in Ireland.
This stone circle is in the same national park as the more famous Uragh stone circle. However this is definitely worth the effort and is a fine circle in its own right. You can drive up the hill and there is a car-park for parking. Then walk up the step hill and there are homemade signposts for hut-sites and a few other things. For some reason they dont make much of a deal about the stone circle but follow the path and it is on it. The stone circle is far more hidden than the more outgoing circle down below it. You can see the lake from this circle and perhaps with the trees the view would be more impressive.
This little 5 stone circle is located over some boggy / heathery terrain. However there is a track that takes you practically the whole way if you can find it. I found it on the way back.
As you can see the circle is on grassland and when you spot the grass north of the bog you know you are getting close. There is a stone row to the north east but I didnt investigate this because of cows in the field around it.
This stone circle is easy to access being only two fields from the road. It is a small 5 stone circle which Jack Roberts states has a possible winter solstice alignment.
I can only agree with Ken here and his warning about the animals in this field. This is unfortunately in hindsight as I hadnt read it before I visited.
I was even more foolish and brought my dog Ned with me. There were bullocks in the field very near to the circle but an electric fence kept them out of the stone circle field. Me and Neddy made it through to see the circle but on the way back out they became very boisterous. Neddy got scared and wouldnt move. I eventually got my dog to move and walked along the track with a thin electric fence protecting us from bullocks on each side of it. It looked very old and I wasn’t even sure if it was turned on so it was pretty nerve wracking.
I don’t know if Indy had these kind of problems!
I didnt realise that this was situated in a park. Looking at the layout of the lands around it on the OS map I thought perhaps it was on an old country estate. I actually came at it from the rear where as luck would have it a service gate was open.
However I as I wasn’t sure about how much it cost to get in or if I was about to be found out and thrown out I didnt feel very comfortable here.
I think if I had paid my entry fee and approached from the front I would have enjoyed trying to figure what the hell was going on with this circle and stayed around for a lot longer.
Ken Williams post gives you pretty much all the info you need on this one.
This is a lovely stone circle hidden away in trees at the back of some farm sheds. Not far from the easy to find Glantane East there is a long lane (with a gate) to an old farmyard. The stone circle is to the rear of this.
This again isnt far from the village of Carriganimmy. Access is made easier now with the building of a wind-farm in the area. You can follow the new track of the wind-farm quiet close to it. However the area is pretty marshy so bear that in mind. I got fairly wet and it was the middle of summer when I visited. Even with the path it is one of the hidden circles rather than one that stands out in the landscape and so it can be tricky to find..
There is a fence around the stone circle which unfortunately makes taking a good photo of the circle tricky.
Jack Roberts states that this stone circle has a winter solstice orientation.
This stone circle is easily accesible being very close to the road and about 2km from the village of Carriganimmy. Its a five stone circle and there are some quartz stones in a row to the south west of it. Jack Roberts states that it is aligned to the Feb / Now Cross Quarter day.
Again this is another stone circle with easy access, there is a lane running all the way along side it from the road. Jack Roberts gives this stone circle an equinox orientation, hard to tell really I suppose considering there are only 4 stones left.
This stone circle again is very close to the road. A new road way (not on the OS map) has now been built alongside it going into a house. Best to park outside and away from this road and walk up to avoid any access problems. Its a lovely stone circle hidden away in almost its own little enclosed space.
This stone circle is very easy to find and access. It is very close to the tiny hamlet of Reananerree. It is a lovely 5 stone circle on some bleak countryside with views to the north and west.
This is actually a 5 stone circle although its hard to make it out from the pictures. Two of the stones are actually in the hedge and there is a drain right behind it.
The circle is a number of fields in from the road, you have to pass through a huge ring-fort to get there and for me it was a lovely walk. The stone circle is hidden away up in the right hand corner of a field.
This stone circle is only a few miles outside Macroom on the Macroom to Killarney road. It is just one field in from the road. However the day I visited there were cows in the field that the circle was in so could only view it from the ditch next door.
What I really liked about the circle was its name, the castle nearby to it is know as Castle Carrigaphooca or the castle of the rock of the ghost or púca.
I dont know much about the folklore of the area, was the rock that the castle built on associated with ghosts / fairies or was the stone circle what originally gave the area its name.
This is fine block of a standing stone about 2m high by 0.5m wide in lands grazed by sheep. There is a stone circle 200m to the north west of it. The stone circle is on the other side of some very marshy land so best to take the track marked on the map rather than cutting across country.
This damaged stone circle was very tricky to find. I even had the 8 digit grid reference number from the inventory and even with that it was difficult to find. There is a fine standing stone about 200m from it and that is easy to find. I tried making my way from the standing stone to the circle but ended up getting soaked in marshy land.
I went back out to the road where I had parked and tried from that side. I had almost given up when it my gps showed it was in the middle of some undergrowth but kept going and found the two portal stones of the circle. There were also about 3 other stones remaining.
This stone circle is not far off the road south of Toon Bridge. When I visited it was fairly overgrown however you could make out that it was impressive circle and fairly intact. Jack Roberts mentions that it is aligned to 228° and to the winter solstice.
This stone row is less than a km from the Carriganine stone circle. It is just to the side of a house in a field and is difficult to see from the road.
Its a lovely 3 stone alignment, the stones are about 1.2m high. The middle stone has an unusual depression in it, looks a bit like on the standing stone at the circle of Knocknakilla. To top it all off the row seems to be lining up with a hill off in the distance, Im not sure exactly which one but i think it could be Douce Mountain.
This is right beside the road a little south from Macroom. There are two stones remaining however the remains of three more may be in the ditch behind them. The two remaining stones look out to the hills in the distance.
This stone circle is a couple of miles from Macroom to the north side of the River Lee reservior out on a bit of a penisula. I recall parking at an old churchyard and walking west for about 400m. Then heading through a few fields linking up with a farmtrack which it is right beside.
Unfortunately it was fairly overgrown with high grass and the resulting pictures werent great. According to Jack Roberts the orientation of the circle is 200°.
For some strange reason this wedge tomb is listed on the old Michelin maps, up there with the likes of Newgrange and the Rock of Cashel.
The tomb is in the vicinity of the beautiful Gougane Barra lake (my brother in law got married at the church here so I nipped out to take some pics the night before the wedding).
It is a place that is well worth a visit for non megalithic reasons. The lake was an early christain hermitage spot (a bit like Glendalough) and I understand there are legends of the lake having a monster in it.
Regarding the wedge tomb, there are two shown on the map but I only could find one. I think the second one might be destroyed as I found the remains of what might have been.
Its a fine big tomb and is in good condition. Didnt have much time to study it but i think it is about 4m long by about 2m wide.
I had wondered about maybe trying to get over to this one from the other stone circle however from the terrain it looked very difficult and so I drove up the forestry road to within about 300m of it. I had the coordinates in my handheld gps and even with the 8 digits coordinates I still nearly didnt find this. I just couldnt fathom that the stone circle would be in the evergreen trees.
See Gordons pictures for great directions on how to find this site, I shall have to start following them soon!
This circle is at the end of a long lane. There is a sign-post to the circle so that is always a good sign regarding access as you have to walk practically through the yard of a farm to get onto the lane. Its a long walk down, maybe 1.5km but the lane is in good condition and the site itself is well worth the walk.
The circle itself is in great condition and I assume all the stones are there and in there original positions. It is noted on Jack Roberts map as having an orientation to the Feb / Nov Cross Quarter days.
These standing stones are marked as a stone row and a single standing stone on the OS map on the lane down to the Carrigagulla stone circle. It seems likely that they made up the one monument at some stage. From Tom Fourwinds site he spoke to the farmer while visiting and the farmer said “that he can remember three standing in the field when he was young, but they fell. One of the gate post stones was dug up by him a few years ago some distance from the others. Was it once a very long row of five or six stones?”
As you can probably guess from the pictures the forestry around the stone row has been cut down and you can now see what remains of the row after the damage the planting has done. Im not sure what material the stones are but there do appear to be naturally white and would have been very impressive I would say when originally upright.
1-50 of 469 fieldnotesNext page