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Cloghadda is a standing stone and enclosure representing a possible prehistoric megalithic tomb in County Down, Northern Ireland. The monument stands on bedrock of the Hawick Group, a Wenlock-age wacke formation that characterises the underlying geology of the Newry and Mourne area. This durable sedimentary stone would have been a significant local resource for megalithic construction during the Neolithic and early Bronze Age periods.
The site comprises both an upright stone and an associated enclosure, a configuration typical of passage tombs and portal tombs found across the Irish and British Isles. The precise archaeological nature of the monument—whether it functioned as a burial chamber, ceremonial structure, or territorial marker—remains undetermined without formal excavation. Many monuments of this type in the region date to between 4000 and 2000 BCE.
Cloghadda is protected as a scheduled monument under the Historic Environment Division reference 8880, recognising its significance as part of the prehistoric cultural landscape of County Down. The monument's survival reflects both the enduring quality of megalithic stone construction and the local importance of this site to successive generations of inhabitants in the Newry and Mourne district.
Cloghadda. standing stone & enclosure is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 8880. View the official record →
Cloghadda is a standing stone and enclosure representing a possible prehistoric megalithic tomb in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 8880.
Cloghadda. standing stone & enclosure dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a megalithic tombpossible. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cloghadda. standing stone & enclosure 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 8880.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mound - possibly barrow (4.2 km), Stone faced rath - one of a pair with 051 (4.6 km), Stone faced rath - one of a pair with 051 (4.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Cloghadda. standing stone & enclosure'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.
Cloghadda. standing stone & enclosure stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.