Banagher Megalithic Complex

Passage Tomb

On a hill top on the south-eastern slopes of Slieve Glah, in Banagher townland, stands an intriguing multi-period megalithic complex of burial and ritual sites. It consists of a passage tomb, probably constructed before 3000 BCE, surrounded by a bronze age stone circle. About 100 metres north west of this circle is an embanked stone circle and between them is an unclassified barrow, there is also evidence of a second barrow 100 metres west of the tomb. To the south-east of the passage tomb is an embanked, possibly iron age, enclosure/henge. In an adjoining field about 200 metres to the east is a destroyed court tomb and a further 200 metres east are the remains of a small portal tomb.

The surviving kerbstones of the passage tomb cairn form a small circle within the bronze age circle, this can be quite confusing at first. In the eastern section of the cairn some of the stones appear to form a small chamber, see image below right, one of these stones is decorated with passage tomb art, see above. Slieve Glagh may block the view to the northwest of the passage tomb, but the views toward the south-east are stunning. On a clear day the megalithic complex at Slieve na Calliagh/Loughcrew can be viewed from the here, and this may be why this location was picked to construct the monument. The large U-shaped motif, left of centre in the image above, also appears on the passage tomb art at Loughcrew.