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Killygony old graveyard is a multi-period funerary site in County Down, Northern Ireland, combining prehistoric and later burial practices within a single landscape. The site comprises a court tomb, a form characteristic of the Neolithic period in Ulster, alongside Bronze Age cists that represent a distinct tradition of burial construction. The court tomb's open forecourt arrangement reflects the communal ritual practices of early farming communities, whilst the cists indicate subsequent use of the location during the Bronze Age, suggesting the site held significance across several centuries of prehistory.
The monument lies on bedrock of the Gala Group, wacke deposits formed during the Telychian epoch of the Silurian period, around 430 million years ago. This geological foundation would have shaped the availability of stone for tomb construction and the character of the surrounding landscape that attracted repeated use.
The possible killeen designation suggests the site may have retained sacred significance into the medieval period, when small burial grounds often developed around earlier monuments. Killygony old graveyard is now protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 7159, recognising its importance as an archaeological record of changing burial customs and spiritual continuity across Northern Ireland's deep past.
Killygony old graveyard. graveyard (possibly killeen) with court tomb & cists is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 7159. View the official record →
Killygony old graveyard is a multi-period funerary site in County Down, Northern Ireland, combining prehistoric and later burial practices within a single landscape. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 7159.
Killygony old graveyard. graveyard (possibly killeen) with court tomb & cists dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a multi-period site. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Killygony old graveyard. graveyard (possibly killeen) with court tomb & cists 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 7159.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath (3.1 km), Ardagaualle, machairyedargawall, maccharedruall, meacarne-de-odargulla. medieval & modern church & graveyard with enclosure (3.1 km), Counterscarp rath (4.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Killygony old graveyard. graveyard (possibly killeen) with court tomb & cists'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.
Killygony old graveyard. graveyard (possibly killeen) with court tomb & cists stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.