Megalithic tomb, Drumbrick, Co. Donegal

Co. Donegal |

Megalithic Tombs

Megalithic tomb, Drumbrick, Co. Donegal

On a windswept patch of rough pasture near Drumbrick, County Donegal, a puzzling arrangement of ancient stones has stood for millennia, slowly being reclaimed by furze bushes and time itself.

This ruined megalithic monument sits adjacent to outcropping rock, with the land dropping sharply to the west towards the Lurgybeg River valley below. The only clear view from the site extends northward, where the Loughsalt Mountain ridge rises against the horizon some three kilometres away.

The monument's central feature appears to be the remains of a stone gallery, oriented roughly north-northeast to south-southwest and measuring about 4.5 metres long by 2 metres wide. Four substantial standing stones, or orthostats, mark out this rectangular space; three still stand along the western side whilst a single stone remains on the eastern edge. The tallest of these reaches just over two metres in height, and their arrangement suggests they once formed the chamber of a megalithic tomb, though the structure is now too damaged to interpret with certainty.

What makes this site particularly intriguing is a curious arc of four additional stones curving away to the northeast of the main gallery. These stones, ranging from 40 to 80 centimetres in height, form no obvious architectural pattern, and their relationship to the presumed tomb remains a mystery. When antiquarian Thomas Fagan visited in 1846, he noted the gallery structure looked much as it does today but made no mention of these outlying stones, leaving open the question of whether they were originally part of the monument or perhaps added later. Several other fallen stones scattered around the site add to the enigma, their original positions and purposes now lost to prehistory.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Megalithic tomb, Drumbrick, Co. Donegal. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement