Ballymacdermot Court Tomb

Ballymacdermot Court Tomb

Location: Ballymacdermot, Co. Armagh

Classification: Court Tomb

Rating:

Ballymacdermot is a well-preserved court tomb located on the southeastern slopes of the Ballymacdermot mountain. This tomb has a very deep D-shaped court, about 7m wide and 5m long, which may once have been totally enclosed. The 6m long gallery contains three burial chambers. There are large stone slabs dividing the chambers and parts of the corbelled roof survive at the entrance to the gallery. Situated within the Ring of Gullion Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the site offers excellent views of Slieve Gullion and the smaller hills of the ring dyke as well as the Mourne and Cooley mountain ranges.

Description

Ballymacdermot is a well-preserved court tomb located on the southeastern slopes of the Ballymacdermot mountain. This tomb has a very deep D-shaped court, about 7m wide and 5m long, which may once have been totally enclosed. The 6m long gallery contains three burial chambers. There are large stone slabs dividing the chambers and parts of the corbelled roof survive at the entrance to the gallery. Situated within the Ring of Gullion Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the site offers excellent views of Slieve Gullion and the smaller hills of the ring dyke as well as the Mourne and Cooley mountain ranges.

History

Ballymacdermot Court Tomb is thought to have been constructed some time before c.3500 B.C. It has been investigated at various times throughout its history. In the 19th century, it was opened by treasure-seekers, who unearthed an urn containing pulverised bone in one of the chambers. During the Second World War, some of the facade stones were knocked down and broken by the American Army on tank manoeuvres.

Folklore

Local lore sometimes refers to this monument as the Tomb of the Danes, however the earliest oral traditions, speak of the Tuatha Dé Danann. It is thought that the terms 'Danann' and 'Dane' have become confused over the centuries as the Danes (Vikings) did not arrive in Ireland till the late first millenium AD, nearly 4000 years after the monument was built.

Gallery

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Accessibility Rating: Easy

Approximately 1.5 to 2 kilometers up the hill on the mountain road where the site is signposted on the right. There is a widened section of the road near the front of the tomb with space to park about two or three cars.

Accessibility

Accessibility Class: Easy

Approximately 1.5 to 2 kilometers up the hill on the mountain road where the site is signposted on the right. There is a widened section of the road near the front of the tomb with space to park about two or three cars.

Facilities

There are no facilities at this monument

Map

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Weather

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Sunrise/Sunset

Sunrise: 07:35

Sunset: 18:52

Directions

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Weather

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Sunrise/Sunset

Sunrise: 07:35

Sunset: 18:52

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