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Strabane Stone Circle is a prehistoric stone circle located in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, near the town of Strabane. The monument stands on bedrock of the Argyll Group, a Neoproterozoic formation comprising psammite, semipelite and pelite—metamorphic rocks that underlie much of this part of Ulster. These ancient sedimentary strata, metamorphosed over hundreds of millions of years, provided the geological foundation upon which the circle's builders chose to place their monument.
Stone circles represent a distinctive form of ceremonial and ritual architecture constructed during the Bronze Age and Late Neolithic periods across the British Isles. Their precise functions remain debated amongst archaeologists, though astronomical alignments, burial commemoration and community gathering are amongst the proposed interpretations. The Strabane example contributes to the broader distribution of such monuments across Ireland, where stone circles are particularly concentrated in the southern and western regions, though examples are found throughout the island.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 14023, ensuring its preservation for future study and public understanding. The site's survival depends on continued protection and appropriate management of the surrounding landscape, allowing this Bronze Age structure to remain a tangible connection to the prehistoric communities of the north of Ireland.
Stone circle is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 14023. View the official record →
Strabane Stone Circle is a prehistoric stone circle located in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, near the town of Strabane. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 14023.
Stone circle dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a stone circle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Stone circle 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 14023.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dermot and grania's bed. wedge tomb (2.8 km), Rocking stone. portal tomb (3 km), Giant's grave. wedge tomb (3.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Stone circle'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.
Stone circle stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.