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BOHONAGH County CorkAn incomplete but nonetheless very fine example of a recumbent stone circle of West Munster type, situated on a low hill within sight of the coast, 1½ miles east of Ross Carbery. Its diameter of 30 feet is typical of several in the area including nearby Drombeg and Reanascreena South. The tapered portal stones are set radially in an east-west axis with the recumbent stone opposite, providing an alignment on the equinoctial sunset. They are among the tallest of any Irish open circle, the larger of the pair standing almost 8 feet above ground. Excavation in 1959 established that the circle had thirteen stones, of which six remained upright, three lay fallen and four were missing. The fallen stones were re-erected in their original sockets using a system of timber levers. As at Drombeg, a small pit at the centre of the circle was found to contain cremated remains, possibly placed there as a ritual dedication of the monument. To the east of the circle is a boulder dolmen with a cup-marked capstone. Both megaliths, and possibly also traces of a timber hut site discovered nearby, belong in the Bronze Age
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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