Megalithic tomb, Roshin (Killybegs Ed), Co. Donegal
At the end of a rocky ridge, roughly 100 metres from the western shore of Killybegs Harbour's outer reaches, lies the remains of an ancient megalithic tomb.
Megalithic tomb, Roshin (Killybegs Ed), Co. Donegal
The monument sits on a southeast-facing slope surrounded by rough pasture, offering sweeping views southward across Donegal Bay, whilst rising ground blocks the outlook to the north and west. Though time and the elements have taken their toll on this prehistoric structure, what remains tells a fascinating story of Ireland’s distant past.
The tomb appears to have originally consisted of a chamber or gallery oriented northwest to southeast, standing at the northwestern end of a grass-covered, stony mound. This rectangular mound measures approximately 9 metres long, 3.8 metres wide, and rises 0.7 metres high, with a field fence now running along its eastern edge. The structure itself is in considerable disrepair; its eastern side is marked by two standing stones, one leaning slightly westward at about a metre high, whilst its neighbour tilts markedly eastward. Several other stones lie toppled and scattered about, including what may have been western wall stones, now prostrate and partially buried in the earth.
Perhaps the most impressive feature is a massive displaced roofstone, measuring 3.2 by 2.6 metres and 0.4 metres thick, which now rests at an angle across the southern portion of the collapsed structure. This great slab, with its western edge touching the ground and eastern side tilted skyward, gives some sense of the monument’s original scale and ambition. Whilst the exact classification of this tomb remains uncertain due to its ruined state, it stands as a tangible link to the Neolithic farmers who once called this corner of Donegal home, their burial practices preserved in stone even as the details of their lives have long since faded from memory.





