Dun Ruadh (Doonroe)

Multiple cist cairn and Henge

The best way to describe this site is that it is a ring cairn with a stone circle inside the ring. On my first visit the people who farm the land were very helpful and escorted me up to the cairn on what I can only describe as a really horrible day and I would like to say thank you. On my last visit the weather was much improved. The cairn is around 30 metres long and contained 13 small burial tombs amongst the stones, a photo of one of these tombs, known as a cist, is shown at the bottom of the page. A henge, 63 metres in diameter, surrounds the cairn.

The stone circle is made up of seventeen orthostats that were originally linked by dry-stone walling, a good example of dry-stone walling, linking orthostats, can be seen at Annaghmare court tomb in County Armagh. A lot of cairn material has been robbed out and may have been used for the surrounding field walls. There is an open entrance to the cairn at the south west. A truly magical site, well worth the trip. If you do visit this site in the winter, you will need a good pair of wellingtons boots.

Large orthostats

Looking toward the entrance

Situated: Behind a farmhouse in the Townland of Crouck. From Cookstown take the A 505 West for about 12 kilometres then take a right for Teebane at the T-Junction take a left after about 4 kilometres you will come to Crouck Bridge after another kilometre you will see a white farmhouse with a long driveway, in a field to your right the cairn is in the fields up above the farmhouse.

Google Map.

Discovery Map 13: H 6227 8455. Last visit June 2006.

Longitude: 7° 2' 2" W

Latitude: 54° 42' 18" N

Photos: Jim Dempsey.