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The Long Stones is a Neolithic megalithic portal tomb located in the Newry and Mourne area of Northern Ireland. This ancient monument consists of large upright stones arranged to create a distinctive portal entrance leading to a burial chamber beyond. Portal tombs represent a characteristic form of megalithic funerary architecture constructed during the Neolithic period, typically between 3500 and 3000 BCE. The monument's construction would have required considerable communal effort to position and arrange the massive stone slabs that form its structure.
The Long Stones rests upon bedrock composed of an unnamed igneous intrusion of Late Silurian to Early Devonian age, which formed during the Early Devonian period. This felsic rock foundation underlies the landscape of this region. The choice of location for the tomb's construction may reflect the practical considerations of builders selecting suitable ground for a permanent ceremonial and burial monument.
The Long Stones is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland under reference number 5931. This designation recognises its significance as a surviving example of Neolithic megalithic architecture in the region. The monument remains an important archaeological resource for understanding the burial practices, social organisation and constructional capabilities of Neolithic communities in northeastern Ireland.
The long stones. cashel and portal tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 5931. View the official record →
The Long Stones is a Neolithic megalithic portal tomb located in the Newry and Mourne area of Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 5931.
The long stones. cashel and portal 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.
The long stones. cashel and portal 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 5931.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Giant's grave. megalithic tomb (4.5 km), The danes cast, the danes cast (south). linear earthwork (5 km), The oul grave. portal tomb (5.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The long stones. cashel and portal tomb'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 stones. cashel and portal tomb stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Late Silurian To Early Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is felsic-rock.