Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandOmaghStone circles (2) & double alignment
BRONZE AGE · STONE CIRCLE COMPLEX

Stone circles (2) & double alignment

Omagh, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 15012
Period
BRONZE AGE
Site type
STONE CIRCLE COMPLEX
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 15012
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
H6538973282
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

The stone circles and double alignment near Omagh is a Bronze Age ceremonial complex comprising two distinct stone circles linked by a parallel alignment of standing stones. Situated in County Tyrone at grid reference H6538973282, the monument occupies bedrock formed from an Ordovician to Silurian felsic igneous intrusion, giving the local stone a distinctive hard, crystalline character typical of the upland terrain around Omagh. The complex reflects the ritual practices of Bronze Age communities across Ireland and Britain, when stone circles served as gathering places for seasonal gatherings and ceremonial purposes.

The dual-circle arrangement with connecting alignment represents a sophisticated understanding of sacred landscape design. Such complexes were typically constructed over several generations, with stones quarried from the immediate locality or transported short distances across the difficult moorland terrain. The felsic bedrock would have provided suitable stone for monument construction, though the precise methods by which Bronze Age builders extracted and positioned these substantial blocks remain a matter of archaeological study.

The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 15012, recognising its significance as evidence of Bronze Age ritual activity in Ulster. Surviving stone circles from this period are invaluable sources for understanding the ceremonial geographies, social organisation and spiritual beliefs of Bronze Age communities in northern Ireland.

Stone circles (2) & double alignment is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 15012. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Stone circles (2) & double alignment?

The stone circles and double alignment near Omagh is a Bronze Age ceremonial complex comprising two distinct stone circles linked by a parallel alignment of standing stones. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 15012.

What period does Stone circles (2) & double alignment date from?

Stone circles (2) & double alignment dates from the bronze age period, and is classified as a stone circle complex. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Stone circles (2) & double alignment?

Stone circles (2) & double alignment 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 15012.

What other scheduled monuments are near Stone circles (2) & double alignment?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Horned cairn. court tomb (2.5 km), Dunmisk fort. enclosure, monastic settlement, church & graveyard (site of) (3.7 km), Long cairns, giant's graves. court tomb (4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Stone circles (2) & double alignment

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Stone circles (2) & double alignment'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 Stone circles (2) & double alignment

Stone circles (2) & double alignment stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is felsic-rock.