Older than the pyramids at Giza, Egypt, the Poulnabrone Dolmen in County Clare is the pin-up monument for Irish tourism. When Fran and Conal stopped by they were suitably underwhelmed.
By Conal Healy
Thursday, October 12, 2023 (4pm): We pushed on from Father Ted’s house. The grey clouds were slowly turning black. Rain was coming. The golden dawn of that morning was fast becoming a memory.
It was late afternoon when Fran and I eventually reached one of the highlights of The Burren – the Poulnabrone Dolmen.
Perched on the limestone plateau, Poulnabrone Dolmen is one of Ireland’s most iconic archaeological monuments and is the second most visited location in the Burren after the Cliffs of Moher. It is the oldest dated megalithic monument in Ireland.
Poulnabrone is classified as a portal tomb. Portal tombs have two large portal stones standing on either side of an entrance capped with a massive sloping capstone.
A second stone which lies on the ground at the rear of the monument was likely a second capstone which would have fitted in under the main capstone and covered the back of the structure. This part collapsed at some unknown time in the past.
The tomb was built on limestone pavement and surrounded by a low mound of rocks. This mound of rocks would have added support to the upright stones which are otherwise only supported by the weight of the capstone. The uprights are not wedged into the deep fissures which are common in the limestone. The limestone flagstones which were used to build the monument would have been extracted from the surrounding limestone pavement.
Excavations by archaeologists in the 1980’s revealed the remains of 33 people at the site and radiocarbon dating of their bones indicates that the tomb was in continual use for a period of 600 years between 5,200 and 5,800 years ago.
The bones show signs of wear that suggests hard physical labour was normal for the people of the time and while one hip bone had the tip of an arrow head embedded in it indicating conflict, there is also evidence of creativity and craftsmanship shown in the discovery of a decorated neck pendant.
Fran and I got to the Dolmen just as a bus load of tourist were leaving.
I’d like to say the site of the Poulnabrone Dolmen is magnificent. It isn’t.
Underwhelming would be a good term. It is easy to miss.
There is no information centre nearby with dramatic audio-visual display. You don’t have to queue to get in. The doleman is roped off, there are warning signs … but you could easily ignore these and touch the dolman.
It’s a 10-minute stopping point, and that includes reading the information panels that dotted the pathway from the carpark to the dolman itself.
When we got to the site, a honeymoon couple were taking selfies in this bleak empty landscape. The photos would probably be added to the Wedding Photo album.
Fran and I didn’t stay long. Fran felt the sadness that seemed to emanate from this tomb. It was a feeling of sadness, Fran told me as drove away. Not evil, just sad.
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We check our tourist map , took a left turn when we should have gone right and found ourselves on the scenic coastal route (with a view of Galway Bay) to Ennistymon. There was freshly laundered clothes to be collected.
on the road less travelled in Ireland and france 