NEOLITHIC · MEGALITHIC TOMB

Rush's cave. court tomb

Newry And Mourne, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 9066
Period
NEOLITHIC
Site type
MEGALITHIC TOMB
Nation
Northern Ireland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Rush's Cave is a Neolithic court tomb located in the Newry and Mourne district of Northern Ireland. The monument dates to the Neolithic period and represents the class of megalithic funerary structures characteristic of early farming communities in Ireland, typically constructed between approximately 4000 and 3000 BCE. Court tombs are distinguished by their forecourt area flanked by standing stones, which would have served as a ritual or ceremonial space, with burial chambers positioned beyond. The site exemplifies the architectural traditions of Neolithic communal burial practice, though like many such monuments, its present physical condition reflects significant degradation over millennia.

Rush's cave. court tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 9066. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Rush's cave. court tomb?

Rush's Cave is a Neolithic court tomb located in the Newry and Mourne district of Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 9066.

What period does Rush's cave. court tomb date from?

Rush's cave. 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 Rush's cave. court tomb?

Rush's cave. 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 9066.

What other scheduled monuments are near Rush's cave. court tomb?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Giant's grave. court tomb (3.6 km), The crawtree stone. portal tomb (5.1 km), Kilkeel, st. colman del mourne. rath, reused as medieval church & graveyard (5.4 km).

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