Carrowmore - Tomb 07 (Kissing Stone)

Location: Carrowmore, Co. Sligo
Classification: Passage Tomb
SMR Code: SL014-209007-
Rating:
Tomb 7 is the largest and most northerly dolmen in Carrowmore. An excavation in 1977/87 found evidence of a central posthole, the point from where the original boulder circle may have been drawn. Elaborate 'settings' of small stones in elliptical and 'shapes' were placed on the ground within the stone circle. From artefacts found there, we know that people re-visited Tomb 7 in the Bronze and Iron ages. Two stones of a passage were removed in the 19th Century; otherwise probably looks much as it did at the time of its construction.
The origins of the Carrowmore monuments reach far into prehistory - the most ancient among them is close to 6,000 years old. The Cúil Irra peninsula, surrounded by sea and mountains, was the centre of a very rich area during the Neolithic. Carrowmore, at the very centre of the peninsula, would have had a significant symbolic role for the people living here. This was the place chosen as the sacred and religious centre for the population.
Now known as the 'Kissing Stone', Carrowmore Tomb 7 was also known as Leaba-na-bhFian, meaning 'Bed of the Fianna' (Warriors).
Description
Tomb 7 is the largest and most northerly dolmen in Carrowmore. An excavation in 1977/87 found evidence of a central posthole, the point from where the original boulder circle may have been drawn. Elaborate 'settings' of small stones in elliptical and 'shapes' were placed on the ground within the stone circle. From artefacts found there, we know that people re-visited Tomb 7 in the Bronze and Iron ages. Two stones of a passage were removed in the 19th Century; otherwise probably looks much as it did at the time of its construction.
History
The origins of the Carrowmore monuments reach far into prehistory - the most ancient among them is close to 6,000 years old. The Cúil Irra peninsula, surrounded by sea and mountains, was the centre of a very rich area during the Neolithic. Carrowmore, at the very centre of the peninsula, would have had a significant symbolic role for the people living here. This was the place chosen as the sacred and religious centre for the population.
Folklore
Now known as the 'Kissing Stone', Carrowmore Tomb 7 was also known as Leaba-na-bhFian, meaning 'Bed of the Fianna' (Warriors).
This monument is part of a Complex

This monument is part of a Complex

Accessibility Rating: Moderate
Public access to this monument is restricted though it can be viewed from within the public Carrowmore complex.
Carpark. Visitors Centre.
Accessibility
Accessibility Class: Moderate
Public access to this monument is restricted though it can be viewed from within the public Carrowmore complex.
Facilities
Carpark. Visitors Centre.
Map
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