Ballymacgibbon Cairn is a cairn and National Monument located in County Mayo, Ireland.[2][3]
| Ballymacgibbon Cairn | |
|---|---|
| Native name Irish: Carn Bhaile Mhic Giobúin | |
 Ballymagibbon Cairn in 1905 – illustration by Hugh Thomson[1] | |
| Type | Cairn |
| Location | Ballymacgibbon North, Cross, County Mayo, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°32′32″N 9°14′13″W / 53.542197°N 9.237080°W |
| Elevation | 40 m (130 ft) |
| Height | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Built | 4000–2500 BC |
| Official name | Ballymacgibbon Cairn |
| Reference no. | 251 |
  Location of Ballymacgibbon Cairn in Ireland | |
Location edit
Ballymacgibbon Cairn is atop a hill 1.4 km (0.87 mi) west of Cross, County Mayo.[4][5]
History edit
Ballymacgibbon Cairn has never been excavated, but is believed to have been constructed in the Neolithic.[citation needed]
William Wilde claimed that the cairn was erected by the mythical king Eochaid mac Eirc to celebrate Battle of Moytura.[6]
Description edit
The cairn is a large limestone cairn 30 m (98 ft) across. It is surrounded by a low mound, and kerbstones are visible in several places, one of which has some interesting lines or scratches. The sides are very steep and the top is flat, indicating that it almost certainly contains a passage grave.[7]
There is the remains of a lime kiln attached to the north side of the monument.[8]
References edit
- ^ Gwynn, Stephen (1906). The fair hills of Ireland. Dublin: Maunsel & Co Ltd. p. 66.
- ^ "Ballymagibbon Cairn". Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
- ^ Halpin, Andrew; Newman, Conor (1 January 2006). Ireland: An Oxford Archaeological Guide to Sites from Earliest Times to AD 1600. Oxford University Press. p. 201 – via Internet Archive.
Ballymacgibbon.
- ^ "Carn Bhaile Mhic Giobúin/Ballymacgibbon Cairn".
- ^ Kennedy, Conan (1 June 1994). Ancient Ireland - The Users' Guide. BookBaby. ISBN 9780907677253 – via Google Books.
- ^ Past, Ed Hannon-Visions of the (18 July 2015). "Ballymacgibbon Cairn, Mayo, Ireland".
- ^ "megalithomania: Ballymacgibbon (Mayo) :: Cairn :: Visit notes".
- ^ Byrne, Martin. "Ballymacgibbon Cairn - Ecohy's Cairn - Daithi's Cairn - Cong, Co Mayo - Sacred Island Guided Tours".