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Dungannon Long Cairn is a Neolithic court tomb, a megalithic burial monument typical of Ireland's early farming communities dating from around 4000 to 3000 BCE. Built upon bedrock of the Fintona Group—a Late Devonian formation of sandstone, mudstone, siltstone and conglomerate—the monument represents the architectural and ritual practices of Ulster's earliest settled inhabitants. Such court tombs served as communal burial chambers, their distinctive forecourt design facilitating repeated ritual activities across generations.
The monument stands within the archaeological landscape of Dungannon, a region rich in Neolithic settlement evidence. Court tombs like this were constructed using dry stone techniques to create internal galleries and chambers, often covered by long cairns of stone. The forecourt allowed access and permitted the performance of ceremonies associated with the dead, marking these structures as focal points for social and spiritual life in Neolithic communities.
The site is protected as a scheduled historic monument under reference 15298 by the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland. Its survival, though altered by time and land use, contributes to our understanding of early Neolithic settlement patterns and funerary practices in this part of Ulster. The monument's location, position and visible remains retain significant archaeological potential for future study.
Long cairns, giant's graves. court tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 15298. View the official record →
Dungannon Long Cairn is a Neolithic court tomb, a megalithic burial monument typical of Ireland's early farming communities dating from around 4000 to 3000 BCE. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 15298.
Long cairns, giant's graves. 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.
Long cairns, giant's graves. 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 15298.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Giant's grave. wedge? tomb (0.4 km), Horned cairn. court tomb (1.6 km), Enclosure (2.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Long cairns, giant's graves. 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.
Long cairns, giant's graves. court tomb stands on Fintona Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone, mudstone, siltstone and conglomerate.