Ballymacdermot, County Armagh
The siting of this very fine example of a single court tomb, at a height of 600 feet on the south side of Ballymacdermot Mountain some 2 miles south-west of Newry, is spectacular, with uninterrupted views across the Meigh plain to the great sweep of hills known as the Ring of Gullion. Yet the tomb has its back turned on this inspiring scenery, with the entrance facing northward between the 'horns' of the forecourt.
Perhaps the view was intended for the benefit of those who would have gathered in the court to witness the funerary rites. This must have been a difficult location for the builders who had to contend not only with the slope of the hill but also, as excavation showed, to clear the ground of undergrowth, and possibly trees, before construction could begin. The tapered cairn, 90 feet long, is well defined and survives to the height of the gallery walls.
Of the three chambers, the middle one is the most substantial, with impressively tall entrance jambs and massive sidestones which still support some of the slipped roof corbels. The first chamber is by comparison small and narrow with low portals and had apparently served as an antechamber, since no evidence of burials was found. The rear chamber was the only one which contained undisturbed material and from it cremated bones and Neolithic pottery fragments were recovered. It is interesting that the tallest orthostats of the court occur at the eastern extremity, rather than following the more usual practice of placing them adjacent to the gallery entrance for emphasis.
While many megaliths have been damaged by vandalism, and removal of stone for building, only Ballymacdermot can claim collision with an American army tank. The incident occurred during Wartime manoeuvres in 1942, resulting in several façade stones being shorn off at ground level. After excavation in 1962, the broken portions were reunited with their bases and this repair work can be seen on the outer stones on the east side of the court.
Other Ancient Stones in County Armagh:
Aghmakane | Annacloghmullin | Annaghmare | Ballykeel | Clonlum | Clontygora | Kilnasaggart | Slieve Gullion
Click here to buy the Appletree Press book from Amazon.co.uk. For more information click on: Ireland's Ancient Stones - A Megalithic Heritage by Kenneth McNally, published by Appletree Press.
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