Slieve Donard [Ballagh Beg, The Great Cairn, The Greater Cairn] Passage Grave : The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map:

<< Our Photo Pages >> Slieve Donard - Passage Grave in Ireland (Northern) in Co. Down

Submitted by ainsloch on Monday, 29 July 2013 Page Views: 6718

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Slieve Donard Alternative Name: Ballagh Beg, The Great Cairn, The Greater Cairn
Country: Ireland (Northern) County: Co. Down Type: Passage Grave
Nearest Town: Newcastle
Map Ref: J3580427689
Latitude: 54.180233N Longitude: 5.920732W
Condition:

5	Perfect
4	Almost Perfect
3	Reasonable but with some damage
2	Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1	Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0	No data.
-1	Completely destroyed

2 Ambience:

5	Superb
4	Good
3	Ordinary
2	Not Good
1	Awful
0	No data.

5 Access:

5	Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4	Short walk on a footpath
3	Requiring a bit more of a walk
2	A long walk
1	In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0	No data.

1 Accuracy:

5	co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4	co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3	co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2	co-ordinates of the nearest village
1	co-ordinates of the nearest town
0	no data

5

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Passage Grave in Co. Down. Slieve Donard is the highest mountain in Northern Ireland at 850 meters and the seventh highest in Ireland. The "greater cairn" on its summit is what remains of a passage tomb that would have been the highest in Ireland and Britain when intact - that honour now goes to the surviving passage tomb atop Slieve Gullion in County Armagh.

Sadly Slieve Donard passage tomb (which was originally some 40 meters in diameter) has been greatly robbed of its covering cairn and nothing at all remains of its chamber.

However the views from here are spectacular, and with the clouds wisping around you it truly feels like being on top of the world. A second Bronze Age cairn lies a couple of hundred meters away. Access is a pretty arduous uphill trek from Donard car park along the Glen River until one reaches the Mourne wall, then follow the wall to the left to reach the peak of Slieve Donard. Following the wall to the right will take you to the summit of Ulster's second highest mountain Slieve Commedagh. A small cairn is visible on its summit too.
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Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:

J3527 : The summit of Slieve Donard by Michael Earnshaw — by Michael Earnshaw
©2022(licence)

J3527 : Slieve Donard by Rossographer — by Rossographer
©2009(licence)

J3527 : Slieve Donard by Dean Molyneaux — by Dean Molyneaux
©2009(licence)

J3527 : Cloud capped summit of Slieve Donard by Eric Jones — by Eric Jones
©2018(licence)

J3527 : The Summit Shelter on Slieve Donard by Eric Jones — by Eric Jones
©2014(licence)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
3.5km NNE 22° Newcastle Stone Circle Stone Circle (J370310)
5.7km NW 317° King's Grave in Tollymore Forest* Cairn (J318317)
7.3km NNE 28° Wateresk Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir)
7.3km NNE 29° Ballyloughin Standing Stones (J392342)
7.6km NNE 30° Wateresk Dolmen* Portal Tomb (J3936234386)
7.8km S 185° The Longstone (Co. Down)* Standing Stone (Menhir)
7.9km NW 325° Drumena* Stone Fort or Dun (J3111034018)
10.7km SW 222° Moyard Court Tomb Chambered Tomb
11.8km WNW 288° Goward* Portal Tomb (J244310)
13.7km SSW 203° Kilkeel* Portal Tomb (J307149)
14.4km SSW 210° Dunnaman* Court Tomb
16.0km NNW 342° Legananny Cross Stone* Ancient Cross (J304428)
16.1km NW 321° Moneyslane* Standing Stones
16.7km W 270° Mullaghmore (Co. Down)* Stone Circle (J191272)
17.1km NNW 338° Legananny* Portal Tomb (J2886743397)
17.6km SW 227° Kilfeaghan* Portal Tomb (J232154)
17.6km NE 46° Ballynoe* Stone Circle (J4812740378)
19.2km WSW 239° St Bronagh's Graveyard (Kilbroney)* Ancient Cross (J195174)
19.3km WNW 288° Barnmeen* Standing Stone (Menhir) (J172330)
19.5km NNE 23° Annadorn Dolmen (Loughinisland)* Chambered Tomb (NW52870072)
20.2km WNW 302° Knockiveagh* Cairn
20.6km W 263° Tamnaharry* Standing Stone (Menhir)
21.0km NE 38° Down County Museum* Museum
21.1km W 267° Edenmore Court Tomb (J14752583)
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