Cairn, Málainn Mhóir, Co. Donegal

Cairn, Málainn Mhóir, Co. Donegal

In the townland of Málainn Mhóir, County Donegal, a curious stone monument catches the eye amongst the pasture and outcropping rock.

Cairn, Málainn Mhóir, Co. Donegal

First noted by Norman Moore in 1872, this enigmatic site consists of stone heaps that may have once served as ancient burial cairns. The most prominent feature is a tall stone, standing 1.9 metres high, which forms part of a rectangular cist; a small stone chamber typically used for burials. This cist measures internally about 1.3 metres north to south and 0.7 metres east to west, with single stones forming each side, varying in height from 0.3 to 0.65 metres.

Adjacent to this main cist are the remains of what appears to be a second burial chamber, though only two stones survive from this structure. One leans at an angle and would stand 0.75 metres if upright, whilst the other rises just 0.45 metres. These adjoining cists sit towards the southern end of a substantial heap of stones that stretches approximately 14 metres in length and reaches about a metre at its highest point. Some of these stones were likely gathered from the surrounding fields over the centuries, making it difficult to determine what’s original to the monument and what’s been added later.



The site has puzzled antiquarians for over a century. When Borlase visited in 1897, he observed two stone heaps, each with an upright stone at its centre, and suggested they might be cairns of Christian date where pilgrims traditionally added stones; a practice common at holy sites throughout Ireland. Whether these structures date to the prehistoric period or represent later Christian monuments remains uncertain, but their presence near the portal tomb complex in the same townland hints at the area’s long history as a place of burial and commemoration.

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Málainn Mhóir, Co. Donegal
54.68934644, -8.77606408
54.68934644,-8.77606408
Málainn Mhóir 
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