Creevykeel Court Tomb is one of the largest examples of Neolithic court cairns found in Ireland. Located in County Sligo it dates from approx. 4000–2500 BC
History of Creevykeel Court Carin
Built in the Neolithic period Creevykeel Court Carin is one of the best-preserved Court Carins in Ireland.
The entrance to the Cairn is approx. 1m wide and 4 meters long and would have been originally roofed. To the left of the entrance, charcoal pits were found during an excavation by Hugh O'Neill Hencken in 1935. Some cremated bone was found in one of the pits however, it's unknown if it was human or animal bone.
As you walk through the entrance the structure features a large, oval-shaped court. Given the size of the court, it most likely served as a focal point for gatherings and ceremonies.
Along the edge of the large oval court, the wall is made up of large upright stones (orthostats).
The main courtyard today is covered in grass but Hencken's excavation showed the floor was mostly paving, cobble stones, and sand from the nearby shore. Evidence of charcoal, large fires, and cremated bone were found within the court. There was also evidence of several expansions made to the monument over the years and with roof of corbel stones covering the court being added later.
On the west side of the court stands 2 upright jamb stones supporting a large lintel creating an entrance into a gallery.
An illustration of Creevykeel by William Wakeman in 1880 shows the large lintel in an upright position rather than how it sits today. During Hencken's excavation years later he discovered from locals that three boys had pushed the lintel off from its position and into the chamber behind. When Hencken reconstructed the site he placed the lintel horizontally rather than vertically.
Unlike passage tombs, where burial chambers lie deep within the cairn such as the Newgrange Passage Tomb, Creevykeel's chambers sit directly off the central court, symbolizing a more communal approach to death and the afterlife.
The two chambers are divided by another two large jamb stones.
During excavations a number of items were discovered to suggest the site had been in use between the Neolithic period and the early Christian period. In the main chambers four pits were discovered with some cremated bone but not enough to suggest if they were burial. They also found a large flint knife, arrowheads, pot sherds, quartz crystals, and flint scrapers. They also found a polished stone axe in the main chamber and some Neolithic pottery in one of the outside chambers.
Over the centuries, the cairn saw various phases of use and re-use with little or no evidence of artefacts from the Bronze Age period, its possible the Court Carin became abandoned. However, by the early Christian period there was evidence of a smelting pit for Iron working being added to the main court.
During the Iron Age and Christian period metal workers often choose abandoned tombs and significant monuments for their metalworks, possibly to attract some sort of magical power from the site.
How to get to Creevykeel Court Tomb
Creevykeel is located on the main Sligo to Bundoran road (N15). It is very well signposted with a large car park. A number of small steps lead up to the main court cairn site. Click here for the map to the site.
