Scheduled MonumentsNorthern IrelandFermanaghThree stone circles & alignments
PREHISTORIC · STONE CIRCLE COMPLEX

Three stone circles & alignments

Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
NISMR MonID 9125
Period
PREHISTORIC
Site type
STONE CIRCLE COMPLEX
Nation
Northern Ireland
The designation
Reference
NISMR MonID 9125
Authority
DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR)
Grid reference
H1588067580
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

The Three Stone Circles is a prehistoric stone circle complex located in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The monument comprises three circles and associated stone alignments, preserving an important example of Neolithic or Bronze Age ritual monumentality in the northwest of the island. The circles were constructed on bedrock of the Tyrone Group—a mixed sequence of limestone, mudstone, sandstone and siltstone deposited during the Visean period—which would have provided both stone for construction and a stable foundation for the ceremonial landscape.

The site's position in the drumlin terrain of Fermanagh, with its outcrops of local stone, shaped how the monument was built and how it functioned within the surrounding prehistoric settlement pattern. The three separate circles and their alignments suggest a carefully planned ceremonial complex, possibly linked to astronomical observations or processional activity characteristic of such Bronze Age sites. The specific arrangement of the stones across this particular landscape would have been visible for considerable distances across the surrounding topography.

The Three Stone Circles is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 9125, ensuring preservation of its archaeological record and its place in understanding prehistoric ritual practices in Ulster.

Three stone circles & alignments is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 9125. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Three stone circles & alignments?

The Three Stone Circles is a prehistoric stone circle complex located in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 9125.

What period does Three stone circles & alignments date from?

Three stone circles & alignments 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 Three stone circles & alignments?

Three stone circles & alignments 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 9125.

What other scheduled monuments are near Three stone circles & alignments?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ring barrow (6.3 km), Standing stone (6.4 km), Standing stone (6.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Three stone circles & alignments

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Three stone circles & alignments'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 Three stone circles & alignments

Three stone circles & alignments stands on Tyrone Group, bedrock that formed in the Visean. The rock here is limestone, mudstone, sandstone and siltstone, with subordinate chert, coal and conglomerate.