Megalithic structure, Clochar An Chuilinn, Co. Donegal
On the windswept moorland south of the Gweebarra River valley in County Donegal, an enigmatic stone structure emerges from the cut-away bog at Clochar An Chuilinn.
Megalithic structure, Clochar An Chuilinn, Co. Donegal
The feature sits at the northwestern edge of a low, rocky ridge, its form revealed through decades of peat cutting that have gradually stripped away the surrounding earth. At its heart lies a massive boulder serving as a roofstone, measuring 3.2 by 3.7 metres and up to a metre thick, oriented roughly north to south with a distinctive downward slope.
The enormous capstone rests upon an intriguing arrangement of supports: two smaller boulders at the northern end create what appears to be a portal-like entrance, whilst another boulder props up the southwestern corner. At the southern extremity, several courses of stones, now partially engulfed by peat, provide additional support. All three supporting boulders sit directly on exposed bedrock beneath the cover stone. The northwestern edge of the capstone shows signs of artificial shattering, though whether this damage occurred during its construction or represents later interference remains uncertain.
What makes this structure particularly fascinating is its ambiguous nature; it doesn’t conform to any recognised monument type in Irish archaeology. The configuration could be the result of glacial forces arranging these boulders by chance, or it might represent a deliberate, if unconventional, attempt at megalithic construction. Whilst its creators may have been working within Ireland’s ancient tradition of stone monument building, the structure’s true purpose and origins remain tantalisingly unclear, awaiting further archaeological investigation to unlock its secrets.





