Site Type: Passage Tomb
Irish Grid Ref: S4087331261
Location: Link to Bing Maps
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| Winter Solstice sunset at Knocroe |
This passage tomb is described in Heritage Guide No.53 of Archaeology Ireland as follows;
"Located on sloping ground, the structure rests on a prepared platform supporting the southern half of the cairn. In general the cairn is retained behind a megalithic kerb that rests against an internal bank of boulders. The body of the cairn is made up of three obvious layers - a basal stratum of boulders, each measuring about 30-40cm across and embedded in a distinctive matrix of dark reddish-purple soil; a medial layer of smaller stones having the appearance of standard cairn fill; and an upper layer of considerably smaller stones that obviously represent field clearance (the laneway traversing the site made it an ideal dumping ground for stones picked from the neighbouring fields). Underneath the cairn there is evidence for underlying arcs of stones such as have been noted at several other circular monuments of the middle Neolithic period, both passage tombs and Linkardstown-type mound. Two passage tombs are known within the cairn, one entered from the south-east and one from the south-west, known respectively as the east and west tombs. It appears that the east tomb may have been associated with an earlier cairn initially, after which the site was enlarged and the west tomb added or possibly extended.
By comparison with the east tomb, the west tomb is higher in profile, constructed with larger stones and entered through a relatively imposing façade, and it contains artwork of considerable sophistication and variety and a boldly stated solstice alignment.
Some of the designs in the west tomb stand comparison with the most sophisticated examples in the Boyne Valley or Brittany, and these are the two regions where comparisons for the Knockroe artwork are easiest to find. The kerb features some large-scale arrangements, including the well-known serpentiform design on K31, but the artwork in the east tomb is small-scale, lacking in aesthetic ambition and made up almost exclusively of lightly picked oval elements. Architectural symbolism is expressed vividly at Knockroe through the occurrence of special stones in various structural contexts: quartzites at the tomb entrances, a red sandstone pillar beside the inner sillstone in the west tomb and a fine-grained kerbstone to bear the serpentiform design."
I haven't really came across who originally proposed the alignments in the east and west passages at Knockroe. However it is certain that both are initially aligned. The fact that the kerb-stones were decorated in a similar manner to the more famous passage tombs in Bru Na Boinne ads to the argument. I attended the sunrise and sunset here on a number of occasions over the years. It does become pretty crowded on the evening of the 21st so best to go a few days either side if you want it a bit quieter.
Links to photographs;
Link to pictures of the tomb and a late december sunset on Ken Williams website
Link to a picture of the setting sun within the chamber by Derek Ryan Bawn
Links for further information;
Information and pictures at www.megalithicireland.com
