Cist, Carnaghan, Co. Donegal

Co. Donegal |

Burial Sites

Cist, Carnaghan, Co. Donegal

On Inch Island in Lough Swilly, County Donegal, a prehistoric monument stands watch over the inner waters of the lough from its position on the south-facing slope of Inch Top.

The site occupies a terrace of fair pasture, though rougher terrain dotted with rock outcrops begins just to the north. What remains today is a portal tomb, now reduced to its essential elements: two impressive portal stones at the northeast end, standing tall despite the millennia, and a modest backstone positioned 2.5 metres to the southwest.

The monument sits within a low, grassy mound that measures roughly 10.4 metres north to south and 10 metres east to west. Several intriguing features have been incorporated into this ancient site over time. About 70 centimetres northwest of the backstone, you'll find a stone cist topped by two stacked cover slabs, whilst half a metre east of the cist, another slab rests horizontally on four supporting stones. The mound itself, which rises to about 0.7 metres at its highest point, has been modified in more recent times; a hedge-grown wall runs along its western edge, and dry-stone facing has been added to the southern portion of its eastern boundary.

When archaeologists surveyed the tomb in 1982, they noted five mature trees growing around the mound's perimeter; three at the northern edge and two to the south. These natural sentinels, combined with the ancient stones and later additions, create a palimpsest of human activity spanning thousands of years, all centred on this enigmatic Bronze Age burial site overlooking the tranquil waters of Lough Swilly.

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Pete F
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