Poulnabrone

The Neolithic Poulnabrone dolmen is a portal tomb. It consists of a thin, slab-like cornerstone that is supported by two sets of narrow vertical portal stones. The plate itself weighs about 40 tons. The setting of the stones creates a burial chamber. Dolmen can only be viewed from the outside and is surrounded by a rope that acts as a protective barrier.

In 1985, a fissure was discovered in the eastern portal stone. Dolmen was dismantled and the cracked stone was replaced. At the same time, the excavations carried out showed that 33 people, both adults and children, were buried at the monument. Personal items buried with the dead included a polished stone ax, a bone pendant, quartz crystals, weapons, and ceramics.

The tomb was probably the center of ceremonies and rituals until the Bronze Age. It is also possible that the inhabitants of the vast estates near Kilnaboy erected a structure to mark the northern boundary of their territory.