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The Long Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located in Newry and Mourne, Northern Ireland. This upright monolith represents a monument type with deep roots in Neolithic and Bronze Age ritual practice, when communities across Britain and Ireland erected such stones for purposes both sacred and territorial. The Long Stone stands on bedrock of the Hawick Group, sedimentary rock formed during the Wenlock period, which characterises much of the geology in this region and would have been well known to the prehistoric peoples who quarried and positioned the stone.
The monument's placement within the local landscape reflects the significance this area held for ancient communities. Standing stones frequently marked boundaries, assembly points, or sites of ceremonial importance, and their prominence in the terrain made them enduring landmarks visible across considerable distances. The Long Stone's survival to the present day is testimony to the solid construction and the cultural continuity that preserved these monuments through successive millennia.
The standing stone is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 8717, ensuring its conservation for future study and appreciation. Such protection recognises the archaeological and historical importance of standing stones as physical evidence of prehistoric settlement patterns, social organisation, and belief systems in the Irish landscape.
The long stone, long stone. standing stone is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 8717. View the official record →
The Long Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located in Newry and Mourne, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 8717.
The long stone, long stone. standing stone dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a standing stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
The long stone, long stone. standing stone 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 8717.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Large hilltop enclosure (5.1 km), Mound - possibly barrow (6.4 km), Stone faced rath - one of a pair with 051 (6.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The long stone, long stone. standing stone'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.
The long stone, long stone. standing stone stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.