Megalithic tomb - court tomb, Ballymore Upper, Co. Donegal
This disturbed court tomb sits on a gentle rise about half a kilometre north of the Derryart River and 1.6km west of Sheep Haven Bay's inner reaches.
Megalithic tomb - court tomb, Ballymore Upper, Co. Donegal
The site offers commanding views across pastureland dotted with rock outcrops, with Muckish Mountain looming 6km to the southwest. What remains of the monument consists of a court at the eastern end leading into a roofless gallery roughly 8.5m long, all sitting within a broad mound that narrows towards the west. The mound itself measures 14m by 14m and rises to 2m in height, though much of the structure has been compromised by two field banks that cut across it; one hedge-grown bank crosses the gallery’s front whilst the other bisects it around the middle.
The court’s original form is only partially visible today, with one stone surviving from the north arm and four from the south. These southern stones form a curved line before the innermost one angles sharply to meet the gallery entrance, which is marked by two converging jambs set lengthwise. Behind these, the gallery continues with various sidestones and corbels, some displaced and others still in position, including two substantial corbels measuring 2.6m in length. The rear section beyond the western field bank preserves opposed sidestones and a backstone, though their exposed heights are minimal at around 0.3m. Several other stones scattered around the mound may have formed part of the original structure, but their purpose remains unclear.
Archaeological interest in the site was renewed in 1991 when Seán Ó Nualláin discovered two pottery sherds beneath one of the large corbels; one rim sherd and one body sherd from separate vessels, providing tangible evidence of the tomb’s ancient use. Historical accounts from the 1840s suggest the monument has remained largely unchanged since then, though local stories of a full court cannot be verified. Despite the damage from agricultural activity and the passage of time, this court tomb remains an evocative reminder of Neolithic burial practices in County Donegal, its stones still marking a place where communities once gathered to honour their dead against the dramatic backdrop of the north Irish landscape.





