Glebe Stone Circles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glebe Stone Circles |
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| Native name Irish: Ciorcal Liag na Gléibe |
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| Nymphsfield Stone Circles Moy Tura Conga |
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| Type | stone circles |
| Location | Glebe, Cong, County Mayo, Ireland |
| Elevation | 28 m (92 ft) |
| Built | c. 2500–500 BC |
| Official name: Glebe Stone Circles | |
| Reference no. | 146 |
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The Glebe Stone Circles are a group of ancient standing stones found in County Mayo, Ireland. These mysterious stone circles are a very important historical site, known as a National Monument. They were built a very long time ago, between 2500 and 500 BC, during the Bronze Age.
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Where Are the Glebe Stone Circles?
The Glebe Stone Circles are located in County Mayo, Ireland. You can find them about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) east of a town called Cong.
A Glimpse into the Past: History of the Stone Circles
People have known about these stone circles for a long time. The first known mention was in 1699. An explorer named Edward Lhuyd saw them during his trip around Ireland. Later, another person named William Stukeley shared Lhuyd's drawings of the circles.
A famous Irish historian, William Wilde, thought these circles were connected to an old Irish myth. He believed they were part of the legendary Battle of Moytura. This was a huge battle from ancient Irish stories. Wilde wrote about how many stone circles were in the area. He thought it might have been a strong base for one of the armies in the mythical battle.
What Do the Glebe Stone Circles Look Like?
There are four main stone circles at Glebe. Each one is a bit different in how it was built.
Glebe (North) Circle
This circle is about 16 meters (52 feet) wide. Today, 23 stones are still standing here. Some of these stones are as tall as 1.2 meters (4 feet). You can even see special carvings on some of them, called cup and ring marks. These are small hollows and rings carved into the stone.
Nymphsfield 1 (West) Circle
This is the smallest of the circles. It measures about 10 meters (33 feet) across.
Tonaleeaun (East) Circle
This circle is unique because it has an earth bank around it. It is a type of recumbent stone circle. This means one large stone lies flat on the ground. Here, this flat stone is at the west end of the circle.
Nymphsfield 2 (South) Circle
This circle is also about 10 meters (33 feet) wide. It has 19 stones that make up the circle.
