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# Strabane Portal Tomb
Strabane Portal Tomb is a Neolithic megalithic monument located near Strabane in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The tomb belongs to the portal tomb tradition, a distinctive type of passage grave constructed during the early Neolithic period, approximately five thousand years ago. These monuments are characterised by their massive stone entrance structure and typically covered burial chamber. The site is situated on bedrock of the Tyrone Group, a geological formation comprising limestone, mudstone, sandstone and siltstone, with subordinate chert, coal and conglomerate deposits. This locally available stone would have been exploited for the monument's construction.
The tomb's location reflects the Neolithic preference for elevated positions within the landscape, offering visibility and prominence within the surrounding terrain. Portal tombs served as communal burial places, with the distinctive entrance portal design providing both practical and symbolic function. The monument's position on Visean-period geology indicates that builders selected naturally occurring stone sources from the immediate vicinity.
The portal tomb is protected by the Historic Environment Division of the Department for Communities under reference 14550, recognising its significance as a surviving example of Neolithic funerary practice in the north of Ireland. The monument contributes to understanding early farming communities and their monumental traditions in the region.
Portal tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 14550. View the official record →
# Strabane Portal Tomb Strabane Portal Tomb is a Neolithic megalithic monument located near Strabane in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 14550.
Portal 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.
Portal 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 14550.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Giant's grave. portal tomb (3.7 km), Headstone, the headstone. decorated cross-base (4.1 km), Castle curlews. plantation castle (5.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Portal 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.
Portal tomb stands on Tyrone Group, bedrock that formed in the Visean. The rock here is limestone, mudstone, sandstone and siltstone, with subordinate chert, coal and conglomerate.