Mount Venus facts for kids

Mount Venus (also called Cill an Véineas in Irish) is a very old and special place in Edmondstown, County Dublin, Ireland. It's known as a megalithic site, which means it's made of huge stones. This amazing monument is considered a national heritage site, meaning it's important to Ireland's history and culture.

What is Mount Venus?

Mount Venus is famous for its enormous stones. One of the most impressive parts is a giant capstone, which is like a huge lid, weighing about 44 tons! That's heavier than many trucks! This capstone rests on other stones, but it has partly fallen over time.

Why Did the Capstone Collapse?

Experts think the capstone might have collapsed because of powerful earthquakes. Two big earthquakes are often mentioned:

• The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, which was a massive quake that affected many places.
• The 1690 Caernarfon earthquake, another strong tremor.

These events could have shaken the ground enough to make the heavy stones shift and fall.

How Was It Built?

When Mount Venus was first built, it would have had a tall entrance chamber, about 15 feet (or 4.5 meters) high. Imagine walking into a room made of giant stones! Today, only one of the two main entrance stones, called "portal stones," is still standing upright. The huge capstone now leans against this one. The other portal stone, also 15 feet long, lies on the ground nearby. There's also another large, shaped stone close by.

What is an Earth-Fast Dolmen?

An expert named William Copeland Borlase thought Mount Venus was a special type of tomb called an earth-fast dolmen. A dolmen is a type of megalithic tomb, usually with a large flat capstone resting on upright stones. "Earth-fast" means the capstone touches the ground at the back. The Howth dolmen is another example of this kind of ancient structure.

Visiting Mount Venus

You can find this ancient site by looking for a gap in a hedge next to the DSPCA (Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). The area where Mount Venus is located used to be a golf course, but now it's a quiet spot where you can explore this incredible piece of history.