Loughcrew Walk
This historical walk visits the ancient tombs at Loughcrew near Oldcastle in County Meath.
The ancient site includes a number of tombs thought to date to the 4th millennium BC.
There is a parking area just to the west of the site. From here you can follow a path up to the top of the hill where you will find the cairns. There are some excellent views over the surrounding area from the elevated position.
The hills and tombs collectively referred to as Slieve na Calliagh (Sliabh na Caillí) represent the highest point in Meath. This site is one of Ireland's four principal passage tomb cemeteries and is recognised as a protected National Monument. Additionally, the area encompasses the Loughcrew Estate, which lends its name to the site.
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Further Information and Other Local Ideas
Loughcrew is home to over twenty ancient tombs, marking it as one of Ireland's four main passage tomb cemeteries, alongside Brú na Bóinne, Carrowkeel, and Carrowmore. These megalithic structures are scattered across four hilltops: Carnbane East, Carnbane West, Carrickbrack, and Patrickstown Hill. Collectively, these hills and tombs are known as Slieve na Calliagh or Sliabh na Caillí, translating to "mountain of the Cailleach", referencing the divine hag from Irish mythology. According to legend, these monuments were formed when a giant hag, traversing the land, dropped a load of large stones from her apron.
While a comprehensive dating programme has not been undertaken at Loughcrew, the tombs are believed to date back to around 3300 BC. These sites feature cruciform chambers originally covered by mounds. Unique petroglyphs, including lozenge and leaf shapes, as well as circles with radiating lines, are found here. The orthostats and structural stones are predominantly made from local green gritstone, soft enough to be carved.
In 1980, Irish-American researcher Martin Brennan discovered that Cairn T in Carnbane East aligns with the beams of the rising sun during the spring and autumn equinoxes, illuminating the backstone's art. Brennan also noted similar alignments at Cairn L, Knowth, and Dowth in the Boyne Valley. The Cairn T alignment mirrors the famous winter solstice sunrise illumination at Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange) passage tomb.
In more recent centuries, Loughcrew became the seat of a branch of the Norman-Irish Plunkett family, with the most renowned member being the martyred St Oliver Plunkett. The family church is situated within the grounds of Loughcrew Gardens.
With its remote and barren setting, Sliabh na Caillí served as a pivotal gathering place during the Penal Laws for Roman Catholics. Although the original woods have disappeared, a well-preserved Mass Rock is still visible atop Sliabh na Caillí today.
The Plunketts played a significant role in the Irish Confederacy of the 1640s but were dispossessed during the Cromwellian Settlement of 1652. Their Loughcrew estate was then allotted to the Napier Family around 1655 by Sir William Petty. The Napiers are descendants of Sir Robert Napier, who was the Chief Baron of the Exchequer of Ireland in 1593.
Over the subsequent centuries, the Napiers developed an extensive estate spanning some 180,000 acres in north Meath, akin to that of their neighbouring Cromwellian associates, the Taylors of Headfort. Following a third catastrophic fire in 1964, the three Napier sons sought legal permission to dissolve the family trust and divide the estate among themselves. Since then, the house and gardens have been rejuvenated by Charles and Emily Napier, who now open the gardens to the public and host an annual opera festival.
For more local history head south west to visit Fore Abbey. The ancient abbey dates back to the 13th century and includes a circular walk taking you around the historic buildings and the village of Fore. Near here there's also the beautiful Lough Derravaragh and Lough Owel where there's lovely lakeside trails and lots of wildlife to see.
To the east there's the stunning Boyne Valley where you can visit the ancient Hill Of Tara, the medieval Trim Castle, Slane Castle and Brú na Bóinne, a fascinating UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To the north there's Lough Sheelin and Lough Ramor where there's lakeside trails and a Deer Park Forest to explore.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
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Loughcrew Passage Tomb cairn T with another satellite tomb. Cairn T is one of the largest tombs in the complex. Inside it lies a cruciform chamber, a corbelled roof and some of the most beautiful examples of Neolithic art in Ireland. The cairn is aligned to sunrise at the spring and autumn equinoxes and at these times people gather there to greet the first rays of the sun.
Loughcrew in winter
Neolithic tombs on Carnbane West
County Meath
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Hags Seat at Loughcrew
In the steps of Neolithic man at Loughcrew
Wonderful view over the countryside
