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The Court Tomb near Omagh is a Neolithic megalithic monument built upon bedrock of Silurian felsic igneous rock. Court tombs are among the earliest monumental structures in Ireland, dating to the fourth millennium BC. They are characterised by a distinctive open forecourt or 'court' fronting a chambered gallery where communal burials were deposited. The monument sits on the hard, crystalline geology of the Ordovician to Silurian igneous intrusion that underlies this part of County Tyrone, which would have presented significant challenges to the Neolithic communities who constructed it.
The tomb's position within the landscape reflects the careful site selection practised by prehistoric monument builders. The local bedrock geology, composed of felsic igneous material, would have influenced both the availability of suitable stone for construction and the labour required to establish the monument. The court tomb represents a period when Neolithic settlers were establishing more permanent ritual and mortuary practices across the island.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division (reference 14438) as a scheduled ancient monument, recognising its significance to understanding the material culture and social organisation of Ireland's earliest farming communities.
Court tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 14438. View the official record →
The Court Tomb near Omagh is a Neolithic megalithic monument built upon bedrock of Silurian felsic igneous rock. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 14438.
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.
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 14438.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ogham stone (2.9 km), Standing stone (3 km), 'graveyard'. prehistoric burial (3.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of 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.
Court tomb stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is felsic-rock.