Heapstown Cairn
| Heapstown Cairn | |
|---|---|
| Carn Ochtriallach (Irish) | |
 Heapstown Cairn | |
  Location within Ireland | |
| 54°05′42″N 8°20′54″W / 54.095000°N 8.348333°W | |
| Type | cairn |
| Location | Heapstown, Castlebaldwin, County Sligo, Ireland |
| History | |
| Built | c. 3000 BC |
| Site notes | |
| Elevation | 65 m (213 ft) |
| Height | 6 m (20 ft) |
Official name | Heapstown |
| Reference no. | 152[1] |
Heapstown Cairn (Irish: Carn Ochtriallach) is a large ancient cairn and protected National Monument in County Sligo, Ireland. It was built in the Neolithic, around 3000 BC, and is believed to cover a passage tomb. The cairn is one of the largest in Ireland and is near Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery.[2]
Location
Heapstown Cairn is located on a low hill immediately west of the River Unshin and north of Lough Arrow, 2.1 km (1.3 mi) northwest of Ballindoon Friary.[3] It is in the townland of Heapstown, which is an English translation of the Irish name Baile an Chairn, meaning "townland of the cairn or heap". It was formerly anglicized Ballincarn.[4]
History and myth
Heapstown Cairn is thought to have been built c. 3000 BC, during the Neolithic era, and is believed to enclose a passage grave like those at the Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery, 5 km (3.1 mi) SSE of Heapstown.
One account of the cairn's construction is given in the medieval tale of the Second Battle of Moytura. Dian Cecht, healer of the divine Tuatha Dé Danann, puts healing herbs into the Well of Sláine, and the Tuatha Dé Danann drink from it. The Fomorians, on a suggestion from the warrior Ochtriallach, fill the well with stones to keep their enemies from using it. Thus it is known as Carn Ochtriallach "Ochtriallach's cairn".[5] In another medieval tale, it was the burial mound of prince Ailill mac Echach Mugmedóin, brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages.[6]
In 1837, when it was illustrated by George Petrie,[7] it stood to its full height and had a standing stone on top. However, much of the stone was removed for road-building by the time it was illustrated by William Wakeman in 1878.[8]
Description
The cairn is about 60 m (200 ft) wide and about 6 m (20 ft) high, and is composed of locally quarried chunks of limestone mixed with blocks of red sandstone. There is a kerb of huge limestone blocks around the edge of the cairn. The monument has been extensively quarried on all sides except the southeast, which probably contains an undiscovered passage grave beneath the cairn.[9][10][11][12] Passage grave-style megalithic art was found on a south-facing kerbstone in 1998.[13] Heapstown Cairn is similar to Miosgán Meadhbha (Maeve's Cairn), also in County Sligo.
References
- ↑ "National Monuments of County Sligo in State Care" (PDF). heritageireland.ie. National Monument Service. p. 2. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ↑ Falk, Ann-britt; Kyritz, Donata M. (1 January 2008). Folk Beliefs and Practice in Medieval Lives: Ed. by Ann-Britt Falk ... Archaeopress. ISBN 9781407301969 – via Google Books.
- ↑ Moore, Sam (1 January 1998). "Archaeology in County Sligo". FAS Community Services Unit – via Google Books.
- ↑ "Baile an Chairn/Heapstown". Placenames Database of Ireland.
- ↑ Stokes, Whitley (2004). "The Second Battle of Moytura". Corpus of Electronic Texts.
- ↑ Wood-Martin, W. G. (1892). History of Sligo.
- ↑ Hensey, Robert (30 June 2015). First Light: The Origins of Newgrange. Oxbow Books. ISBN 9781782979548 – via Google Books.
- ↑ "Heapstown Cairn". Ask About Ireland. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ↑ "Heapstown, Cairn, Co. Sligo".
- ↑ "Heapstown Cairn - Attractions - Museums and Attractions - All Ireland - Republic of Ireland - Sligo - Castlebaldwin - Discover Ireland".
- ↑ "Heapstown Cairn, Sligo".
- ↑ "Heapstown".
- ↑ Byrne, Martin (22 September 2022). "Megalithic Art at Heapstown Cairn". The Fr. Michael O'Flanagan Heritage and History Pages. Retrieved 22 September 2022.