Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandOmaghStone circles (3) & alignment
PREHISTORIC · STONE CIRCLE COMPLEX

Stone circles (3) & alignment

Omagh, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 15013
Period
PREHISTORIC
Site type
STONE CIRCLE COMPLEX
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 15013
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
H6574073680
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

The stone circles and alignment near Omagh is a prehistoric ceremonial complex comprising three stone circles arranged in close proximity, with an associated linear alignment of standing stones. The monument lies on land underlain by felsic igneous rock of Ordovician to Silurian age, geology typical of the Sperrin Mountains region. The site occupies upland terrain characteristic of Bronze Age ritual landscapes in northern Ireland, where such stone circle complexes served as focal points for communal gathering and ceremony.

The three circles vary in scale and preservation, a common feature of multi-circle complexes that may have developed over successive periods of use and remodelling. The alignment extends the sightlines and spatial relationships between the circles, suggesting deliberate cosmological or calendrical orientation. Such alignments often relate to celestial events or the articulation of sacred space across the landscape.

The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 15013, recognising its archaeological significance as evidence of Bronze Age ritual practice and landscape organisation. The site remains an important record of prehistoric ceremony in Ulster, standing within a broader tradition of stone circle construction that spanned much of the later prehistoric period across the British Isles.

Stone circles (3) & alignment is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 15013. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Stone circles (3) & alignment?

The stone circles and alignment near Omagh is a prehistoric ceremonial complex comprising three stone circles arranged in close proximity, with an associated linear alignment of standing stones. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 15013.

What period does Stone circles (3) & alignment date from?

Stone circles (3) & alignment dates from the prehistoric 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 (3) & alignment?

Stone circles (3) & 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 15013.

What other scheduled monuments are near Stone circles (3) & alignment?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Horned cairn. court tomb (2.7 km), Druids' altar. portal tomb (3.6 km), Dunmisk fort. enclosure, monastic settlement, church & graveyard (site of) (4.2 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Stone circles (3) & alignment

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Stone circles (3) & 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 (3) & alignment

Stone circles (3) & alignment stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is felsic-rock.