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Cookstown Cairn is a prehistoric stone monument situated in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, at grid reference H686 843. The cairn lies upon bedrock of Silurian mafic igneous origin, part of an unnamed intrusion that contributes to the underlying geology of this upland region. The monument is protected as a scheduled historic monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 14452.
The cairn represents a burial or ceremonial structure of Neolithic or Bronze Age date, typical of monuments constructed across the uplands of Ulster during these periods. Such structures commonly served both funerary and territorial functions, marking significant locations in the prehistoric landscape. The choice of this particular site reflects the importance of high ground in prehistoric settlement and ritual practice.
The associated alignment, which forms part of the monument's protected designation, suggests this was a location of particular significance in the prehistoric past. The combination of cairn and aligned stones indicates a carefully planned ritual or commemorative site, rather than an incidental burial. The underlying igneous geology may have held symbolic or practical importance for those who built the monument, as distinctive rock types frequently influenced the siting of prehistoric monuments across northern Britain and Ireland.
Cairn & alignment is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 14452. View the official record →
Cookstown Cairn is a prehistoric stone monument situated in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, at grid reference H686 843.
Cairn & alignment dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cairn & alignment is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 14452.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bradley's cairn. round cairn with standing stones (0.4 km), Stone circle (1.4 km), Standing stone, three cairns & two stone circles (3.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cairn & alignment's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Cairn & alignment stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.