Megalithic Tour
Carrowkeel → The Caves of Kesh → Knocknarea → The Fairy Glen → Creevykeel
Ireland's Best Megalithic Spots
7 hours
Details & Itinerary
Carrowkeel is a neolithic hilltop passage tomb complex consisting of 14 passage cairns identified with letters. The passage cairns are spread across a number of hills that form part of the Bricklieve Mountain range.
Carrowkeel is one of a series of limestone plateaus aligned towards Knocknarea. The plateau to the east is Doonaveeragh and to the west there are the Carn Mor and Treanscrabbagh plateaus. Although Carrowkeel is the highest point, it is also the easiest hill to access.
The Caves of Kesh, (Keash Caves/Caves of Keshcorran), are a series of limestone caves located near the village of Keash in County Sligo. The caves are situated on the west side of Keshcorran Hill, which is part of the Bricklieve Mountains, and contains sixteen chambers.
The caves have been used by man over several millennia. It is thought that they were the site of ancient religious practice or gathering. Many animal remains have been discovered there including Irish elk, grey wolf, brown bear and arctic lemming.
Knocknarea was a place of ritual and meeting in the Neolithic era. Meabh’s Cairn/ Queen Maeve’s Grave is one of a number of monuments on the summit of Knocknarea. In general the tombs are lined up North-South, and they may have been constructed to face Carrowmore in the lowlands. Many of the smaller tombs seem to have been small passage tombs.
The Fairy Glen is an enchanted hidden gem. It is a small valley by Knocknarea and is like a fairy tale.
It is nestled between sheer rock walls of heights of 60 feet with green ivy hanging down and mossy rock
Creevykeel monument is situated near the sea at Mullaghmore, and is one of the finest examples in Ireland of what is known as a full-court tomb.
Dating from the Neolithic period (c. 4000 – 2500 BC) it consists of a wedge-shaped cairn about 50m long, incorporating at its eastern end an oval-shaped court.
