Site Type: Stone Circle
Irish Grid Ref: W2467135159
Location: Link to Bing Maps
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| Drombeg stone circle in the mist. |
Description:
This stone circle is described on Archaeology.ie as follows;
"In pasture on natural rock terrace on S slope of low hill. Circle excavated 1957 (Fahy 1959, 1-27); and nearby fulacht fiadh (CO143-051002-) and hut site (CO143-051001-) in 1958 (Fahy 1960, 1-17). Circle consisted of seventeen stones; two missing and one fallen. Stones are 0.55m to 2.05m L, 0.2m to 0.65m T and 1.1m to 2.05m H. On upper surface of axial stone, largest stone in circle, are two shallow cup-marks, one surrounded by oval carving. Internal measurement along main axis, aligned NE-SW, is 9m. Five pits found within circle, sealed beneath compacted gravel floor; one pit contained deposit of cremated human bone, fragments of shale and numerous sherds of coarse fabric pot. Charcoal from burial yielded C14 determination of AD 600 ± 120 (D-62) which is 'clearly anomalous' (O Nualláin 1984a, 10). Other finds from circle included seven pieces of flint, including small convex scraper. O Nualláin 1984, 24. no. 37; Roberts 1988, Ch. 2, no. 5)."
The sunset alignment at Drombeg is one of the most famous alignments in Ireland after Newgrange. Its discovery is attributed to the great early Irish archeaoastronomer Boyle Sommerville. There are suggestions that the stones are a kind of calendar as per Ronan Murray's book The Secrets of Drombeg. Professor Ronald Hicks also notes that there may be a winter solstice sunrise alignment where two of the stones and the horizon of the sea intersect.
Links to photographs;
Picture of the alignment on www.themodernantiquarian.com by contributor Ken Williams
Links for further information;
The Year at Drombeg by Ronald Hicks
Video of Drombeg winter solstice sunset on youtube by westcorkn71
