Glackadrumman

Suspected Alignment / Alignments:  Summer Solstice Sun-set 
Site Type: Stone Circle
Irish Grid Ref: C5418747597
Location: Link to Bing Maps


Description:

This stone circle is described on Archaeology.ie as follows;

"Known as the Bocan stone circle the site now consists of seven standing stones, 1m-2m high, and a few fallen and broken stones partially enclosing a subcircular area c. 20m in diameter. The stones are all concentrated in the NW and SE quadrants. Shaw Mason (1816, 180) described twelve upright stones which formed part of a circle of sixty feet diameter and went on to say that 'graves' containing 'earthen urns' have frequently been discovered at Bocan. In the SW quadrant there is a track, possibly the result of livestock using stones (now removed?) as scratching posts. The interior of the circle as well as sections of the perimeter are confused by field clearance stones. No trace exists of the two possible outliers noted as being to the E of the circle (Swan 1949, 113). The site is situated on the W slopes of a low hill, in a large recently reclaimed grazing field, with extensive views on all but the E side."

Vice Admiral Boyle Somerville was one of the original proponents of archaeoastronomy in Ireland looking at sites in his native West Cork and also in Donegal. Somerville calculated one main alignment here at Bocan stone circle, the sunset on the summer solstice over the unusual harp shaped stone. A plan is available on JSTOR (here). Like a lot of sites with possible alignments there is record of one potential cup-mark on the stones of the circle (see JSTOR again here).

Links to photographs;
Picture of the curve of the circle by www.themodernantiquarian.com contributor Charles Coughlan

Links for further information;
More information on Bocan at Jim Dempsey's website www.megalithicireland.com