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The
Carrowkeel/Keshcorran Megalith complex is located
west of Lough Arrow just outside the little town of
Castlebaldwin and is the sight of the largest concentration
of passage tombs in Ireland. These passage tombs (fourteen
in all) are sunken burial chambers made of large limestone
slabs, topped with huge piles (cairns) of rocks.
These
tombs are most usually located high upon hills and
mountains and dot the landscape around Sligo County,
forming a larger network of ancient sites whose mysterious
origin is still largely debated.
The
Carrowkeel complex, believed to have been constructed
between 3000 and 2000 BC, remained in use until 1500
BC. The cairns, built of limestone with interior chambers
roofed with large limestone slabs, range in size from
25 to 100 feet in diameter. The site was used in Christian
times as a burial place for unbaptised children.
Carrowkeel
was rapidly and very poorly excavated in 1911, often
with the use of dynamite, and each of the cairns was
assigned an identification letter. Access is from
Castlebaldwin village on the N4 and is free of charge.
The last half mile is best undertaken on foot and
good walking shoes are recommended. It can take a
good hour to climb to the mountain top passage graves,
where you will be rewarded excellent views in all
directions.
Bricklieve
Mountain (An Bricshliabh) is also known as the speckled
mountain, is 321 metres high with the following Grid
Reference: G75335 11729.
The
megalithic cemetery of Carrowkeel, consisting of a
complex of neolithic passage tombs, is situated on
the Bricklieve Mountains. The Bricklieve Mountains
are located west of Lough Arrow and approximately
6 km north-west of the town of Boyle. The site is
a large isolated block of carboniferous limestone
that reaches a height of approximately 300m. Typical
landscape features associated with a karst topography
are caves, dry valleys, and limestone pavement. A
striking feature of the Bricklieve Mountains is that
they are cut into four slices by narrow rift valleys
which run north-north-west and south-south-east. The
walls of these valleys are vertical cliffs which vary
between 10-30m in height. The site is also of archaeological
interest. The area has many megalithic tombs, some
of considerable size, erected by Neolithic farmers
some 4,500 years ago.
Celtic
Dreamtime Escapes, guided tours - be introduced
to our ancient traditions & scared ways.
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