Carrowreagh Court Tomb facts for kids

The Carrowreagh Court Tomb is a very old stone structure in County Sligo, Ireland. It is a special type of ancient burial place called a court cairn. Today, it is protected as a National Monument of Ireland. This means it is an important historical site.

Where is Carrowreagh Court Tomb?

This ancient tomb is found about 3.9 kilometers (2.4 miles) northwest of a village called Aclare. It sits high up in the Slieve Gamph Mountains. The tomb is located in the middle of a peat bog, which is a type of wetland with lots of decayed plant material.

History of the Tomb

When was it built?

The Carrowreagh Court Tomb was built a very long time ago, during the Neolithic period. This time is also known as the New Stone Age. People built it between 4000 and 2500 BC. That's over 4,000 years ago!

What was found nearby?

Archaeologists found a small stone box, called a cist, about 30 meters (33 yards) southwest of the tomb. A cist was often used for burials.

How was the tomb designed?

The tomb has a special open area called a "court" in the northwest. This court leads into a long, narrow passage called a "gallery." The gallery is shaped a bit like a kite. Its entrance is about 2 meters (6.5 feet) wide.

The entrance gets wider at the sides, reaching over 3 meters (10 feet) at the "jambs." Jambs are the upright stones that form the sides of an opening. Inside the gallery, there might have been three or four "terminal chambers." These are like small rooms at the very end of the tomb. It's hard to be sure exactly how many there were because many of the stones are now scattered.