Loughcrew 2

As prehistoric remains go there can be few to compare with those at Loughcrew. They may not be as famous as nearby Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth but they benefit from the splendid isolation of their hilltop site. On our visit we were able to explore the various cairns in blissful solitude for the best part of an hour. Apart, that is, from the guide we found, much to our surprise, sitting inside the unlocked main passage cairn! Numerous cairns can be seen on the Slieve na Caillaigh hills at Loughcrew, with the centrepiece of those with public access being Cairn T, photographed here. The external beauty of this site is matched by the mystery revealed inside: a passage leads into a chamber within the cairn, the backstone of which is richly decorated with a variety of shapes and symbols. Around about the time of the Spring and Autumn equinoxes, a beam of sunlight illuminates the chamber and the progress of the light across the backstone was mapped by prehistoric man using a sequence of solar symbols. Amazing!

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