Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandFermanaghGiant's grave. court tomb
NEOLITHIC · MEGALITHIC TOMB

Giant's grave. court tomb

Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 10457
Period
NEOLITHIC
Site type
MEGALITHIC TOMB
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 10457
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
H1073140862
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)

Overview

History & significance

Giant's Grave is a court tomb, a form of Neolithic megalithic burial monument found across Ulster and the west of Ireland. This chambered tomb dates from the fourth millennium BC and exemplifies the collective burial practices of early farming communities who colonised Ireland following the arrival of agriculture from continental Europe. The monument's distinctive court—a sunken forecourt area approached between flanking stones—provided the ceremonial focus for burial rituals and gatherings of the local community.

The tomb is situated in Fermanagh, where the underlying Leitrim Group bedrock of sandstone, mudstone, siltstone and conglomerate would have provided suitable stone for construction. The builders selected and transported substantial megalithic stones to create the monument's defining features: the segmented burial chamber and the distinctive court entrance characteristic of this tomb type. Such monuments represented significant communal investment of labour and resources, indicating the importance of ancestor veneration within early Neolithic society.

Giant's Grave is recorded in the Historic Environment Division's register of protected monuments and is identified under reference number 10457. The monument survives as a testament to the architectural and organisational capabilities of Ireland's earliest farming communities, and continues to be an important witness to the Neolithic transformation of the Irish landscape and the ritual life of its ancient inhabitants.

Giant's grave. court tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 10457. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Giant's grave. court tomb?

Giant's Grave is a court tomb, a form of Neolithic megalithic burial monument found across Ulster and the west of Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 10457.

What period does Giant's grave. court tomb date from?

Giant's grave. 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.

Who is responsible for protecting Giant's grave. court tomb?

Giant's grave. 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 10457.

What other scheduled monuments are near Giant's grave. court tomb?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cup-marked stone (5.2 km), Early christian monastic site, medieval church & graveyard (5.2 km), Dual court tomb (5.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Giant's grave. court tomb

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Giant's grave. court tomb's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman World
Ireland was never conquered by Rome, so this traces the island's Iron Age kingdoms and its contact with the Roman world.
Historic Records
The 19th-century records of this place: valuations, Ordnance Survey memoirs and topographical accounts.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Giant's grave. court tomb

Giant's grave. court tomb stands on Leitrim Group, bedrock that formed in the Namurian. The rock here is sandstone, mudstone, siltstone and conglomerate.