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In the heart of the Burren in County Clare lies the oldest megalithic monument in Ireland.
The Poulnabrone Dolmen has stood tall and strong amid the karst limestone landscape of the Burren for a whopping 5,800 years. Now that’s impressive.
Even more impressive is the thought of Neolithic settlers somehow manoeuvring this mammoth structure into place, with parts weighing up to 1.5 tonnes.
L-R: Poulnabrone Dolmen; The Burren National Park © Shutterstock; Poulnabrone Dolmen © Shutterstock; wildflowers © Shutterstock
Secrets set in stone
This iconic portal tomb consists of three standing stones, topped with a huge horizontal capstone. It’s believed that it was intended for rituals and was originally covered with soil and capped with a cairn.
In Irish, the name Poulnabrone means “the hole of sorrows”– a fitting name for a sacred burial place. Excavations at the site in the 1980s found the remains of 33 people. Radiocarbon dating showed that the tomb was used for about 600 years.
Ancient treasures were found, including a stone axe, arrowheads, beads, a bone pendant, quartz crystals, and pieces of pottery. These artefacts are on display at Clare Museum in Ennis.
The Burren National Park, County Clare © Shutterstock
Marvellous moonscape
The Poulnabrone Dolmen is part of the epic, layered limestone landscape of the Burren. This lunar-like plateau was shaped long before the portal tomb came to be. Forged beneath tropical seas 350 million years ago and sculpted by the last Ice Age into the stark, stone scenery we see today.
This geological wonder is home to seven walking trails. But the best time to visit is during the spring and summer months when hundreds of wildflowers and plants bloom and thrive, setting the grey landscape alive with colour.
Poulnabrone Dolmen, County Clare
Need to know: Poulnabrone Dolmen
Access to the Poulnabrone Dolmen is open all year and admission is free.
Visitors can access the dolmen via a short walk from the free car park.
A site warden is usually present and provides information to visitors.
The uneven gravel path may be challenging for wheelchair-users.
The dolmen is one of several stops along the Burren Scenic Drive Route.
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