Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandOmaghMarket cross. court tomb
NEOLITHIC · MEGALITHIC TOMB

Market cross. court tomb

Omagh, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 14978
Period
NEOLITHIC
Site type
MEGALITHIC TOMB
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 14978
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
H5589076250
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Market Cross court tomb is a Neolithic megalithic monument located in Omagh, County Tyrone. Built during the Neolithic period, court tombs represent one of Ireland's earliest monumental traditions, characterised by their distinctive forecourt arrangement and chambered burial structure. This example stands on bedrock of Silurian felsic igneous intrusion, part of the ancient geological foundation that underlies much of this region.

Court tombs typically comprise a rectangular or trapezoidal forecourt flanked by orthostatic walls, leading to one or more burial chambers. These monuments served as communal focal points for Neolithic communities, facilitating both burial practices and ritual gatherings. The felsic bedrock beneath Market Cross would have provided suitable stone for construction, and the site's location in the Omagh landscape reflects the careful placement of these tombs within the territories of early farming societies.

The monument is protected under the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities, with scheduled monument designation (reference 14978). Market Cross court tomb remains significant as evidence of Neolithic settlement and ceremonial practice in the Sperrins region, contributing to understanding of Ireland's earliest monumental traditions and the social organisation of its first agricultural communities.

Market cross. court tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 14978. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Market cross. court tomb?

Market Cross court tomb is a Neolithic megalithic monument located in Omagh, County Tyrone. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 14978.

What period does Market cross. court tomb date from?

Market cross. 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 Market cross. court tomb?

Market cross. 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 14978.

What other scheduled monuments are near Market cross. court tomb?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bivallate rath (3.7 km), Cloghfin. portal tomb (5.7 km), Termon rock, tearmann comain, termon-conyn, termon cumainig. church, 2 graveyards, 5 wells & cross-carved stone (6.6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Market cross. court tomb

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Market cross. 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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Market cross. court tomb

Market cross. court tomb stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is felsic-rock.