Seanchus of Celtic Ireland - 11

                                                                              2000 BC (2). Continued.

    Brugh na Boinne at New Grange is a Passage Grave originally erected for the Daghda "Mor" (The Great Father) and his 3 sons from the Tuatha De Danann, and the entrance to it is 62' long, while it is roofed with flag stones 5' to 8' high with the Central Chamber being 19 1/2' up surrounded by 12 large slabs in a 30' circle. Also to be seen there is another Megalith Tomb, which has a diameter of 280', which was another also erected for the Great - Father and his 3 sons. Others are within the site of New Grange, at Dowth and Knowth, which is only a mile to the west and these previously contained the ashes of all the deceased placed in urns. These Cists were deposited in the tombs containing the cremated remains of the actual person interred in a box made out of stone slabs, but unfortunately all of these were to be plundered by the Scandinavian Vikings during the 9th Century AD who were seeking gold and other precious metals.

    There are also other Cairns at  Loughscrew Hills / Slieve na Calliagh near Oldcastle / An Sean Chaislean in Co. Meath in the north - east of Northern Leinster and at Carrowkeel and Carrowmore in Co. Sligo in the north - west of the Connacht Province and also at Tara / Teamhair in Co. Meath in the south - east of Northern Leinster, which was the ancient fortress area of the Irish Kings who existed at that time. At Four Knocks (Cold Hill) in Co. Meath also there are another group of these burial mounds, and at Finvoy (The White Hut) An Fhionnbhoth in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province there is a very large Megalithic Tomb / Court Cairn there known as the "Broad Stone." At Knockmany Hill (The Middle Hill) Cnoc Meanach in Co. Tyrone in Central Ulster there is another Passage Grave known as "Annia's Cove" with three ornamented stones, and at Aghmakane in Co. Down in the south - east of the Ulster Province north of Camlough (The Crooked Lake) Cam Loch and Clon Lum to the south in Co. Armagh in the south - east of Ulster there are also other ancient burial grounds.

    On Knock na Rea Mountain, which is over 1000' high and begins it ascent some 5 miles west of Sligo / Sligeach (The Shelly Place)in Co. Sligo in the north - west of the Connacht Province is the burial mound known as "Miosgan Meva" (The Cairn of 73.Maeve / Medb Queen of Connacht) who was interred there in the 1st Century AD, which is 30' high and 200' in diameter. There are also many "Giant's Graves" to be found in the area, which either contain her followers or are prehistoric in origin, and there is a Passage Grave cemetery at Carrowkeel. The largest collection of all the Passage Graves, Stone Circles and Dolmens is to be seen at Carrowmore also in Co. Sligo were there are mostly Megalithic monuments and 5 stone circles where a great battle had occurred. These could possibly be the burial place of all those who were to be slain in the future in the 4 day battle at North Moytura / Magh Tuireadh between the Fir Bolg and their long lost superior kinsmen, the Tuatha De Danann.

   In the 3rd Century AD, 82.Cormac mac Airt, the great Heremonian Ui Cobhthaigh Dal Cuinn 115th King of Tara / Ireland, was to be buried on the opposite side of the River Boyne at Rosnaree (The Peninsula of the King) in Co. Meath in the south - east of Northern Leinster for although he was also a King of Tara / Ireland he did not want to be interred at Brugh na Boinne as by that time he was a Christian.

    The Stone Circles mentioned previously were constructed after New Grange while the Standing Stones, which are single pillar stones were also used for rituals and grave sites and there are examples of these at Longstone Rath in Co. Kildare in Central Southern Leinster where some have the ancient Ogham inscriptions on them. This is a type of ancient writing that was to be created by Ogma, a son of the Daghda "Mor" - the Great Father from the Tuatha De Danann that was to come to an end around the 4th Century AD. There are also prehistoric Standing Stones at Cavan in Co. Cavan in Southern Ulster called after the leader of the great Leinster Fianna Warriors, 83.Finn Mac Coole's Fingers. There are also many ancient graves on the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains in Co. Wicklow in the south - east of Southern Leinster, which include many Cairns, Stone Circles, Pillar Stones and Dolmens with the largest of these being on Mt. Venus.

    Of the other Dolmen Tombs, an extra large one is at Kilclooney (The Church of the Meadow) Cill Chluana  in Co. Donegal in the north - west of the Ulster Province and also there at Inish Keel on Gweebarra Bay at Narin / An Fhearthainn, and also there on the Ardara Road, is a Megalithic Tomb known as "The Bed of 84.Dermot and 83.Grainne" / Grace who was a daughter of 82.Cormac mac Airt who was to become the young wife of the aged Fenian Warriors leader, 83.Finn mac Coole. There is also reputed to be another of their Gallery Graves with a capstone at Pomeroy / Cabhan an Chaorthain in Co. Tyrone in Central Ulster. 84.Ossian's Grave, (who was a son of 83.Finn mac Coole), can be seen in Co. Antrim in the north - east of the Ulster Province on the lower slopes of the 1346' high Tievebulliagh Hill, which is actually a Court Cairn from the Neolithic Period in an area in which stone axes were previously produced in Ireland.

    A Bronze Age Cairn Grave, which had been constructed at Moate (The Mound) an Mota in Co. Westmeath in the south - west of Northern Leinster was to be excavated by an Expedition in the early 20th Century who were to discover that it contained the remains of up to 50 individuals and there was also Bronze Age implements and pottery still found in there, which can also be seen in the Irish National Museum in Dublin. The Giant's Grave another Capstone or Dolman Tomb 23' long, 17' wide, 6' thick is also situated at Kiltiernan (The Church of Tiernan) near Dublin.

    East of the town of Sligo in Co. Sligo in the north - west of the Connacht Province is also Deer Park / Magher Ahanveish where there is a large Megalithic Tomb known as Leaght Chon Ruis, while at Bally Lowra near Jerpoint Abbey in Co. Kilkenny in the south - west of Southern Leinster there are another 2 Megalithic Tombs and the Laigin Ogham Stone that also contains the Ogham alphabet, which as previously mentioned came to an end in the 4th Century AD.

    At Fahan / Fan (The Slope) in Co. Kerry in the south - west of the Munster Province there are 400 Beehive / Clochaun stone forts, which are still in existence from ancient times, and in Poulewhack in Co. Clare in the north - west of Munster there is a Bronze Age burial ground. All up there are 29,000 Mounds or Moats recorded all over Ireland.