| Howth |
Portal Tomb |
Ireland (Republic of) |
Co. Dublin |
Visited |
1st Jul 2026 |
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Absolutely beautiful collapsed portal tomb in a managed arboretum forest on the grounds of Howth Castle. Locally known as Aideen's Grave. Look up the poem written about it and the local lore, very interesting if incorrect. This tomb was made quite a bit earlier than the Iron Age that the poem attributes it to, although it's possible there could be continued associations through the Iron Age.
Walking from Howth DART station: head west along ma...Absolutely beautiful collapsed portal tomb in a managed arboretum forest on the grounds of Howth Castle. Locally known as Aideen's Grave. Look up the poem written about it and the local lore, very interesting if incorrect. This tomb was made quite a bit earlier than the Iron Age that the poem attributes it to, although it's possible there could be continued associations through the Iron Age.
Walking from Howth DART station: head west along main road until you see signs for Howth Castle and cross the street. Walk past the chapel and Castle and keep walking up the hill to the golf course cafe. It's a long gentle uphill walk.
Driving: navigate to car park of the Howth Golf Course cafe.
To the right of the cafe but before the golf course is a marked path into the forest. The path is easy to navigate but would be difficult and sometimes impossible for people with mobility issues. In late summertime the stream has dried up so the path is fairly solid.
The site itself bursts into view in a way that makes clear how much this is valued by those who maintain the arboretum. The capstone and orthistats are granite shot through with streaks of white quartz. It's possible to walk beneath the collapsed capstone and get a sense of just how majestic this tomb was when it was intact. It is a truly massive portal tomb and its construction is very impressive.
According to records it was constructed in the Neolithic and used through the Bronze Age. No excavation had taken place, possibly because it's on private property.
In early August there were berry brambles around the tomb, so consider wearing long trousers, and especially if you decide to continue up Muck Rock.
For those wearing sturdy shoes, consider returning to the left path as you're facing the tomb, and following the path marked with red dots to the summit of Muck Rock. There are the remains of a neolithic cairn at the top, and incredible views of Dublin Bay. Unfortunately there was also a fair amount of partially burnt rubbish and evidence of multiple fires. I took a few minutes to remove rubbish and pay my respects.
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