Annadorn Dolmen facts for kids

Annadorn Dolmen, October 2009

The Annadorn Dolmen is a very old stone structure called a dolmen. It is found near a place called Buck's Head, close to Loughinisland in the area known as Annadorn. You can find it in County Down, Northern Ireland. This ancient site is on the northeast side of Loughinisland Lake. It sits on a small hill looking down at the Loughinisland Churches, which are three old ruined churches. This special monument is protected as a State Care Historic Monument. Its exact location is J4289 4591.

What Makes Annadorn Dolmen Special?

The Annadorn Dolmen has a very large, flat capstone. This capstone is about 65 centimeters thick. It rests on top of three supporting stones, which are about 60 centimeters tall. These stones create a rectangular space underneath.

How Was It Built?

In 1802, someone wrote that the dolmen might have been part of a much larger stone mound called a cairn. This cairn was said to be about 60 feet wide. It might have had a covered path leading into it. If this is true, the Annadorn Dolmen could be what's left of a passage grave. A passage grave is a type of ancient tomb with a long entrance passage.

Another idea is that the supporting stones were originally standing straight up. This would have held the capstone in place, making it a typical tripod dolmen. A tripod dolmen is a simple type of stone structure with three main supports.

What We Don't Know Yet

Experts have not yet dug up this site. More study would be needed to truly understand how the dolmen was built. The large capstone has many small holes on its top surface. Two of these holes seem to have been made bigger over time. The old report from 1802 also mentioned that the space under the capstone held ashes and some bones.

Annadorn Dolmen's History

In the 1700s, a famous person named Thomas Russell used this very stone. Thomas Russell was one of the people who started and led a group called the Society of United Irishmen. He used the dolmen as a platform to speak to people during his meetings in Loughinisland.

Gallery

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  Sign at Annadorn Dolmen, October 2009

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  Annadorn Dolmen, October 2009

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  Annadorn Dolmen, October 2009

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  Annadorn Dolmen, with Loughinisland lake in the background, October 2009