Ireland Prehistoric Sites

Aghascrebagh Ogham Stone and Visitor Centre
Tyrone
Northern Ireland
North of An Creagan
Tel. 028 8076 1112
Ogham Stone inscription, believed to have been a burial marker.

An Creagan Visitor Centre
Tyrone
Northern Ireland
Creggan, on the Omagh to Crookstown road, A505
Tel. 028 8076 1112
Open: April-Sep, daily, 11am-6.30pm; Oct-March, daily, 11am-4.30pm
Archaeological history, culture and traditions tours and courses; interpretive displays; bog trails; restaurant; craft shop; special events include traditional music evenings; parking; accommodation
Web: An Creagan Visitor Centre

Athenree Portal Tomb
Tyrone
Northern Ireland
On road to Creggan from Carrickmore
Tel. 028 8076 1112
Open: always
Portal tomb or dolman, now collapsed; one of largest capstones on an Ulster portal tomb.

Auglish Stone Circles
Derry (Londonderry)
Northern Ireland
Dungiven
Tel. 028 7776 0307
Five circles and five alignments, well preserved site.

Ballygroll Prehistoric Complex
Derry (Londonderry)
Northern Ireland
Slievegore Hill, Erve Rd, Cross, Eglinton
Tel. 028 7126 7284
Group of prehistoric monuments, dating from BC 4000 to BC 1000; court tomb, two wedge tombs, round cairn, barrow, and two stone circles set within pre-bog field system.

Beaghmore Stone Circles
Tyrone
Northern Ireland
West of Cookstown on way to Gortin
Open: always
Seven bronze age stone circles and megalithic tombs.

Beehive Huts and Dunbeg Fort
Kerry (South)
South-west
Near Ventry on Dingle peninsula
Tel. 01 66 915 907.
Prehistoric Remains

Browne’s Hill Dolmen
Carlow
South-east
On Rathvilly road, near Carlow town, signposted, carpark.
Tel. 01 647 6000.
Megalithic structure

Bru na Boinne Visitor Centre
Meath
Midlands East
Donore
Tel. 353 41 988 0300
Open: March-April, 9.30am-5.30pm; May 9am-6.30pm, June-mid Sep 9am-7pm, mid-end Sep 9am-6.30pm; Oct 9.30am-5.30pm, Nov-Feb 9.30am-5pm; Newgrange open year round, Knowth opens May-Oct; sites by guided tour only; very busy site; allow three hours and go as early in the day as possible; last tour one hour before closing
This is the entry point for access to Neolithic Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth pre-historic monuments reached by shuttle bus only from the visitor centre; full scale replica of Newgrange chamber; exhibition; car park; tea-room

Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery
Sligo
North-west
Two miles south of Sligo off N4.
Tel. 071 916 1534
Open: mid March-end Oct, daily 10am-6pm
Largest cemetery of megalithic tombs (60) in Ireland; exhibition in restored cotage; car park

Castleruddery Stone Circle
Wicklow
Midlands East
Baltinglass, .5km west of Glen Lounge crossroads, on the left in farmland
Tel. NA
Open: open site
30 inch diameter circle enclosed by earth bank; inner cricle with 29 stones

Ceide Fields Visitor Centre
Mayo
West
Ballycastle
Tel. 353 96 43325
Open: March-May and Oct/Nov from 10am-5pm; June-Sep, 10am-6pm
3707 acre stone age archaeological site; field systems, dwelling areas and megalithic tombs of 5000 years ago; exhibits and AV presentation; internationally important wild bog flora; rock formations; cliffs; parking; tea-room
For more details and photos see our article Ceide Fields

Celtic and Prehistoric Museum
Kerry (South)
South-west
Kilvicadownig, three miles west of Ventry.
Tel. 066 9159 191
Open: daily 10am-5.30pm. Café.
Archaeological collection of prehistoric remains.

Celtic Theme Park and Gardens
Limerick
Shannon
Cloonagulleen, Kilcornan
Tel. 061 394 243
Open: mid March-end Oct, 9.30am-6pm.
Exhibits of stone circle, dolmen, crannoch, ogham stone, tombs, etc. Gardens include roses, shrubs, herbaceous borders; coffee shop.

Clogherny Wedge Tomb
Tyrone
Northern Ireland
Four miles north of Plumbridge on B48
Tel. 028 9054 3034
Scheduled Historic Monument BC 2000; well preserved wedge tomb surrounded by stone circle of 11 tall schist stones.

Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre
Longford
Midlands East
Three miles from Kenagh, on Ballymahon road (R397)
Tel. 043 332 2386
Open: April-end Sep, daily, 10am-6pm; bog area by guided tour only at 10am-5pm on the hour, lasts 40 min, AV presentation of 17 min
Interprets an Iron Age bog road, built in the year BC 148; largest oak road uncovered in Europe; part of road on display inside the building; exhibitions on iron age trackways, wetland archaeology, and bog culture; 17 minute AV presentation; parking; picnic area; tea-room
For further details and photos see our article Corlea Iron Age Trackway

Cregganconroe Court Tomb
Tyrone
Northern Ireland
A505 from Omagh to Cookstown; signs for visitor centre
Tel. 028 8076 1112
Chambered cairn grave of Neolithic age; capstone.

Creggandevesky Court Tomb
Tyrone
Northern Ireland
Near Lough Mallon about 2 miles south of An Creagan.
Tel. 028 8076 1112
Court tomb 4-6000 years old; three burial chambers; bones and pottery found in graves.

Donegore Motte and St Johns Church
Antrim
Northern Ireland
Landscape Centre, 24 Donegore Hill, Dunadry
Tel. 028 9443 2175
Open: Mon-Sat, 9am-6pm, Sun from 1-6pm
Garden centre, coffee shop, pre Anglo-Norman motte; church nearby restored.

Dun Aonghasa/Aenghus Visitor Centre
Galway
West
Kilmurvey, Inishmore, Aran Island
Tel. 099 61008
Open: 10am-6pm daily, March-Oct, rest of year until 4pm
Prehistoric stone fort overlooking ocean; reached by uneven path up hillside; three dry-stone walls; visitor centre; exhibition; parking for bicycles only; bus tours go to the fort

Dun Ruadh Burial Cairn and Visitor Centre
Tyrone
Northern Ireland
Near the site of Crouk School north of An Creggan, B46
Tel. 028 8076 1112
Large circular bronze age burial cairn surrounded by a ditch and bank; 13 burials.

Glenroan Portal Tomb
Tyrone
Northern Ireland
Omagh
Tel. 028 8224 7831
Scheduled historic monument, dates from BC 3000-2500; single chambered tomb with a capstone across the entrance.

Hill of Tara
Meath
Midlands East
15 miles from Navan off N3
Tel. 0 46 902 5903 or 0 41 988 0300
Open: open site but guided tours June-Oct, 10am-6pm; guided tours last 1-2 hours
Seat of high kings of Ireland; passage tomb of stone age; AV show; guided tours of site; car park and coffee shop nearby

Holestone
Antrim
Northern Ireland
Holestone Rd, Parkgate, on private farmland
Tel. 028 9442 8331
Bronze age standing stone with hole cut through.

Island Wedge Tomb
Cork
South-west
Mallow, east of Burnfort, to the west of a by-road, up a lane to a farm yard; park and walk into the fields past the barn, turn left, it is about 150 feet away.
Tel. 021 4273251
Long rectangular burial chamber

Knockmany Passage Grave
Tyrone
Northern Ireland
Clogher
Tel. 028 6632 3110
Prehistoric stones carved with zigzags, spirals, and circles. Views across the Clogher Valley.

Knockoneill Court Tomb
Derry (Londonderry)
Northern Ireland
Knockoneill Road, Swatragh, Garvagh
Tel. 028 8224 7831
Dates from c BC3000, two-chambered megalithic tomb with a semi-circular forecourt, antechamber, and another chamber, enclosed in rectangular cairn.

Labbacallee Wedge Tomb
Cork
South-west
Fermoy
Tel. 021 4273251
One of biggest wedge tombs in Ireland, bounded by massive standing stones

Lios na gCon
Cork
South-west
Clonakilty, Clonakilty Agricultural College
Tel. 023 33302 or 086 363 7528
Open: daily, hourly guided tours from noon-4pm.
Reconstructed ringfort on original site
Website: Lios na gCon

Lough Gur Interpretative Centre
Ballyneety, on Kilmallock Road
Tel. 0 61 385 186 or 0 61 360 788
Open: May-end Sep, daily, 10am-5.30pm
Information about the area in Celtic and pre-Celtic times; artefacts; stone circles and other prehistoric remains

Loughcrew Cairns (Hills of the Witch)
Meath
Midlands East
East of Oldcastle off the R163
Tel. 0 49 854 1356
Open: get keys from Loughcrew Historic Gardens
Neolithic passage tombs BC 3000 on three different hills

Loughmacrory Wedge Tomb
Tyrone
Northern Ireland
A505 Cookstown-Omagh road following sign to An Creggan, ask for directions there.
Tel. 028 8076 1112
Burial chamber with double walls and a roof of flat stones; about 4000 years old.

Maudabawn Cultural Centre
Cavan
North-west
Maudabawn, near Cootehill
Tel. 049 555 9504
Computer data base and AV program on historical sites of the area; grounds by guided tour.

Mountsandel Fort
Derry (Londonderry)
Northern Ireland
One mile south-east of Coleraine
Open: always
9000-year-old oval mound by the Bann River, oldest dated site in Ireland; riverside walk.

Mullaghmast Rath
Kildare
Midlands East
Near Ballitore and Burtown crossroads
Iron age raised circular rampart, earthworks; location of former Irish king’s palace destroyed by Irish rivals; now a national monument

Passage Graves
Wicklow
Midlands East
On summit of Seefin; reached from south of Killbridge Miliary Camp along forest edge
Tel. NA
Open: open site
Graves in round earthen tombs; burial chamber with two side chambers

Piper’s Stones
Wicklow
Midlands East
One km south Hollywood
Tel. NA
Open: open site
Bronze Age stone circle of granite boulders with outer stone

Prince Connall’s Grave
Leitrim
North-west
Ballinamore, on the Glenfarne to Kiltyclogher road
Passage grave dating from 2nd millennium B.C; on elevated peat covered sandstone area; views overlooking Lough Mac Nean

Rathgall Stone Fort
Carlow
South-east
5km from Tullow on the Shillelagh Road
Tel. 059 9131324

Rough Fort
Derry (Londonderry)
Northern Ireland
One mile west of Limavady, on the Limavady to Ballykelly road
Tel. 028 2073 1582
Open: open site
National Trust property; prehistoric earthwork construction; over 1 acre in size; was used as a safe haven for livestock in an emergency

Tireighter Wedge Tomb
Derry (Londonderry)
Northern Ireland
Off A6 near village of Claudy on a golf course
Tel. 028 9054 3034
Tireighter Wedge Tomb dates from the early bronze age and is twenty-four feet in length.

Tirnoney (Tirnony, Tircony) Dolmen
Derry (Londonderry)
Northern Ireland
Maghera
4000-6000 year old megalithic burial tomb
Open: Sep-June, Tue-Sat and BH Mon, 10am-5pm; July-Aug, Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm, Sun 2-5pm, (last admission 4.30pm)

Tullaghoge Fort
Tyrone
Northern Ireland
Off B162, south-east of Cookstown
Open: always
Site of coronation of O'Neill kings from the 12th-17th centuries.