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Added by Jopie, at 17 July 2014
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8 Reviews
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26 September 2017
This is an amazing place.
Carrowkeel has tombs of a similar design to the more famous tombs at Newgrange. In Carrowkeel they are smaller and older. Archaeologists estimate that the tombs are about 600 years older than Newgrange. That makes them the oldest chambers in the world to still have their roofs.
Getting there isn't easy. You turn off the road in Castlebaldwin and follow up the mountains blindly. When and if you find them the last mile is a good walk followed by a steep incline up to the tombs themselves.
There are three tombs that are easily accessed but there are at least eight of them altogether. The first and third ones can be entered but the second one has collapsed. The rest can only be accessed by hiking over quite rough terrain.response / report this review -
20 July 2017
Not well marked, but a lovely walk. You can drive through the gate at the end of the road (though that was a bit confusing at first), and the trailhead from there is clear. After a ways, you will see a " pedestrians only" sign. A small trail goes off to the right, but there's no arrow denoting that, so be on the lookout. The tombs are a short climb from there. Don't stand on top of the tombs, but you can climb inside.
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23 June 2017
This site has several ancient passage tombs that you can actually enter (climb into). There is no admission fee. This site is located on private land. It's about 35 minutes drive from Slgo. At the end there is a gate, open it (and then close it after yourself) and drive all the way to the top of the hill. Then you need to hike up the hill to the tombs on rather steep unmarked paths for about 30 minutes. If you are doing it alone, you might not be able to find the tombs. I did a tour with Auriel of Seatrails, and really enjojyed it. We were there on a summer solstice day and were lucky enough to see the ray of sun when we were in the tomb. It was a pretty unique expreience.
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18 April 2017
Couldn't actually find the place. Drove all over someone's farm, following the signs, but never saw the passage tombs here. =(
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28 October 2016
The location is probably why much of the megalithic complex remains unspoilt. Access to the site is by a fairly robust climb, so be prepared! Once there, however, the whole site is breathtaking. The monuments themselves are awe-inspiring, some with intact 'light boxes' that are used to align with the solstice sun. The views too are genuinely phenomenal. The site is of especial importance to Irish archaeology and myth (see below):
Carrowkeel is a Neolithic passage tomb cemetery it’s name: An Cheathrú Chaol means 'the Narrow Quarter'. C14 dating places the tombs at between 5400 and 5100 years old (3400 to 3100 BC), so that they predate the Pyramids on Egypt's Giza plateau by 500-800 years. An Cheathrú Chaol is one of the big four passage tomb cemeteries in Ireland, set on high ground above Lough Arrow, and the tombs seem to be oriented towards the area of Cuil Irra, Knocknarea and Carrowmore.
There are fourteen passage tombs in Carrowkeel. Some can be entered by crawling through a narrow passage. Six more passage tombs are located close by in the Keshcorran complex. A particular type of crude pottery found in passage tombs has been titled Carrowkeel Ware, having first been recorded in the Carrowkeel Monuments. Close to Lough Arrow and just north of Carrowkeel is another, apparently related, giant passage tomb, Heapstown Cairn. This is part of the legendary Moytura, site of battles between the Tuatha Dé Danann, the ancient gods of Ireland, and the demonic Fomorians.
The mountain range containing Carrowkeel is called the Bricklieve Mountains (Breac Sliabh), meaning ‘the speckled mountains’ a possible reference to their appearance when more quartz rock survived on the outside of the cairns, causing them to sparkle in the sun. One can only imagine how these would have looked when first constructed.maybe white (like Newgrange) a beacon for miles around.response / report this review -
16 August 2016
Local people call this 'Little Tibet', and it is an unexpected scenery change in the area. Heather covered limestone moorland mainly with cairn remains from A to P, so 16 of them, plus other ancient and ice age relics. 3 of the ancient stone cairns can be entered, B, G and K. A small person could explore O, but very few visitors explore that one. On a clear day up to 18 counties of Ireland can be viewed from the highest point.
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02 August 2015
Inspiring place. You can stand inside 5,000 year old tombs that are mostly intact.
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24 July 2014
Absolutely beautiful place - wild and unspoilt, with amazing views.
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