Megalithic tomb - court tomb, Lurgan, Co. Donegal

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Megalithic Tombs

Megalithic tomb – court tomb, Lurgan, Co. Donegal

In the rolling drumlin landscape about 6 kilometres north of Ballyshannon, a weathered court tomb stands atop a gentle knoll surrounded by pasture.

Located roughly 3 kilometres inland from Donegal Bay, the monument offers glimpses of the sea to the west, though low hills limit the view in other directions. The surviving structure sits within a grass-covered circular mound measuring approximately 15 by 16 metres, its flat top rising about a metre above the surrounding knoll.

What remains today is the inner portion of what was once a larger ceremonial court, leading eastward into a chamber that now lies open at its western end. The entrance to the chamber is flanked by two courtstones; the northern one stands 0.45 metres high whilst the southern reaches 0.6 metres. Between these, the entrance jambs rise to a metre in height, standing 0.8 metres apart, with a displaced lintel stone lying prostrate nearby. The chamber itself extends about 3.5 metres in length, starting at 2 metres wide near the entrance and gradually narrowing to 1.7 metres at its open end.

The chamber walls preserve different numbers of stones on each side; two sidestones survive along the northern wall, with the outer stone measuring 0.85 metres high and the inner one reaching 1.25 metres. The southern side retains three stones of varying heights, from 0.75 metres near the entrance to just 0.1 metres for the middle stone, and 0.25 metres for the third. The subtle narrowing at the western end suggests this may have been a segmentation point in what was likely once a longer gallery structure, now largely destroyed by time and the elements.

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Pete F
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