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Carnanbane is a Neolithic court tomb located near Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The monument sits on bedrock comprising an Ordovician to Silurian igneous intrusion of felsic composition, a geological foundation characteristic of the upland terrain of this region. Court tombs represent one of the earliest monumental forms in Ireland, typically constructed in the fourth millennium BC by Neolithic communities and used for communal burial over extended periods.
The structure takes its name from the Irish term for a cairn, indicating the mound of stone that originally enclosed the burial chambers. Court tombs are distinguished by their forecourt—a ceremonial open space between projecting arms of the cairn—where communal rituals and gatherings likely took place. The internal architecture typically comprises a gallery of chambers accessed from the court, designed to accommodate multiple interments and successive generations of use.
The site is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 14625, recognising its significance as evidence of Neolithic settlement patterns and ritual practice in Ulster. Carnanbane contributes to the archaeological record of the Omagh area, documenting the spread of megalithic tomb-building traditions across the Irish landscape during the early Neolithic period.
Carnanbane. court tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 14625. View the official record →
Carnanbane is a Neolithic court tomb located near Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 14625.
Carnanbane. court tomb dates from the neolithic period, and is classified as a megalithic tomb. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Carnanbane. court tomb 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 14625.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Labby dermot. wedge tomb (2.1 km), Court tomb (3.2 km), White stones. court tomb (4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Carnanbane. court tomb'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.
Carnanbane. court tomb stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is felsic-rock.