Clontygora, County Armagh
Even though it has suffered at the hands of despoilers in the past and been robbed of many of its stones, this great court tomb, 'The King's Ring', remains one of the most imposing monuments of its type in Northern Ireland. Set amid some fine south Armagh scenery close to the border with the Republic, 4 miles south of Newry, it is reached by a minor road leading off the main Newry-Dundalk road at Killeen (if asking directions the local pronunciation is 'Clinchycora'). Sited on a little plateau on the south side of a valley and somewhat unusually facing north, the U-shaped forecourt leads to a burial gallery extending south behind large well matched portal stones. Substantial as these are they are dwarfed by a magnificent pair of flanking orthostats standing over 8 feet tall. Indeed, everything about this tomb has a monumental quality that cannot fail to impress and a visit is highly recommended.
Only the first chamber survives relatively intact, with its huge capstone still raised aloft over a displaced lintel. The chamber sides are formed by massive split-granite boulders, and further large horizontally laid stones mark what remains of the second and third chambers. Of the original cairn little is to be seen, most of its stones having been removed in the 1730s for the construction of the first lock on the Newry canal. The megalith was again plundered a century later when some of the larger stones were earmarked for a similar project. Fortunately for archaeology an accident resulted in the contractor relenting before irreparable damage was done. Two rusting iron wedges embedded in the north face of the westernmost flanker remain as evidence of this act of vandalism. An information board at the site has a conjectural reconstruction of the monument, as well as illustrations of artifacts recovered during excavation in 1937.
Other Ancient Stones in County Armagh:
Aghmakane | Annacloghmullin | Annaghmare | Ballykeel | Ballymacdermot | Clonlum | 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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