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BEENALAGHT County CorkThis superb alignment of massive stones is known as An Seisear (‘The Six’), and although one of its number is fallen this is still one of the best megalithic rows in the county. It occupies a level site up on Reanthesure, at the foot of Bweengduff Mountain, 81/2 miles south-west of Mallow, and is visible at a distance of about 500 yards to the west of the Bweeng-Coachford road. It has been observed that alignment stones are sometimes graded in one direction according to height, but no general rule applies to all. Here the tallest stones are placed at the extremities of the row with the shortest in the middle. Their heights range from 6 to over 9 feet, orientated north-east/south-west over a distance of 36 feet. The site has not been excavated – these structures are unlikely to yield artifacts or firm dating evidence – but it fits into the broad timeframe of Bronze Age ritual monuments that includes most stone circles. Alignments tend to be sited in prominent places in the landscape, presumably as part of their function, but the fine views they once commanded are today often obscured by state forestry plantations.
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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