Meehambee Dolmen facts for kids
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| Location | near Drum and Athlone |
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| Region | County Roscommon, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°24′43″N 8°1′11″W / 53.41194°N 8.01972°W |
| Type | Dolmen |
The Meehambee Dolmen is a very old stone tomb found in County Roscommon, Ireland. It was built around 3500 BC, which is about 5,500 years ago! This type of tomb is called a Dolmen.
Two local children discovered this amazing site in the 1960s. They even found two ancient stone axes there!
Originally, this huge tomb had six tall stones holding up a massive roof stone. These upright stones were about 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) high. The giant roof stone is thought to weigh about 24 tonnes, which is like 24 small cars!
Over time, one of the stones supporting the back of the roof slab fell down. This caused the huge roof stone to slide backwards. Now, it rests at a 45-degree angle. The stone that acted like a door also collapsed because of this.
Experts believe these tombs were important burial places. They might have held a single powerful king or leader. Or perhaps they were for several members of a tribe. These people lived in the area during the Neolithic era, also known as the New Stone Age. Over 1,200 such tombs have been found across Ireland.
Where to Find the Meehambee Dolmen
The Meehambee Dolmen is located in County Roscommon. It is only a few hundred meters from the M6 road.
You can reach it by following a special path for horses and walkers. This path starts from a local road. That road connects to the R362 regional road. You'll find this road in the village of Bellanamullia. This village is on the western edge of Athlone.
Images for kids
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The Meehambee Dolmen
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Another view of the Meehambee Dolmen
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The Meehambee Dolmen from a different angle
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The dolmen is sometimes hard to spot because of moss
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An information sign at the site entrance
