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'Carrowkeel - Cairn B' : Passage Tomb

TownlandCarrowkeel
CountySligo
Grid RefG 745 116
Longitude8° 23' 21.82" W
Latitude54° 3' 10.35" N
Nearest TownBallymote (9.3 Km)
OS Sheet25
UTM zone29U
UTM x539973.86178762
UTM y5989576.9250636

This is a subsite of:

Carrowkeel - Passage Tomb Cemetery
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Visit Notes

Sunday, 29th December 2002

As you drive up the track to Carrowkeel you cross a cattle grid. This marks the entrance to the preserved area. If you look up to your right you can see some amazing cliffs. Cairn B is situated at the top of these. reaching it is a pretty daunting prospect. It is possible to reach it via a 2km walk along the ridge from the south, but an approach from this end is also possible ... if you're VERY careful!

To reach it, walk up the steep hillside just inside the park area skirting the thorn trees. You will then reach the cliff face. Walk along the base of this and over the fence into the next field. From here you can work your way around the cliff and up on to the top.

Eventually you will reach this magnificent cairn ... probably the best preserved here. The passage faces almost north like Seefin Hill (County Wicklow) and Fourknocks (County Meath). This is a very rare example of an intact undifferentiated passage tomb and when inside I was reminded of similar monuments on the Isles of Scilly.

In the back are three stones arranged to form a bench, upon which it is lovely to sit and write notes - the large entrance and wide passage allowing a lot of light to enter. If you can make the climb to this one then I must insist that you try. It is very unspoiled up here and I don't think you'll be interupted much.

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All Sites Visited On 29th December 2002    « Previous Site    Next Site »

Saturday, 3rd May 2003

Are we mad? It's pouring with rain and I talk Julian into climbing up the steep slope to Cairn B! But this little gem is always worth the climb. Keshcorran cairn was still visible when we reached the top, but it soon disappeared into the rain and cloud.

We sat at the back of the tomb, on the little bench structure, and chilled out for a while in the vain hope that the weather would improve ... no chance! We considered walking down the long way (to the south), but decided to go down as we had approached at the north end. It was actually a lot easier than the climb up.

All Sites Visited On 3rd May 2003    « Previous Site    Next Site »

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Random Gazetteer

A Random Selection of Nearby Monuments

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6.1 Km (ENE) there is a Boulder Burial at Barroe.
5.8 Km (NE) there is a Portal Tomb at Ballindoon.
5.5 Km (N) there is a Portal Tomb at Springfield.
9.5 Km (SSE) there is a Portal Tomb at Drumanone (Co. Roscommon).
7.5 Km (ENE) there is a Court Tomb at Moytirra East.

A Selection of Other Passage Tombs

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