Carrowmore — Listoghil Central Tomb
Carrowmore megalithic cemetery · An Cheathrú Mhór · Listoghil
Middle Neolithic – Bronze Age·Carrowmore passage/boulder tradition (early)·🇮🇪 County Sligo, Connacht, Ireland
About
About Carrowmore — Listoghil Central Tomb
Largest megalithic cemetery in Ireland: ~30 surviving tombs (from ~60) on peninsula between Sligo Bay and Ballysadare Bay, dominated by Listoghil central passage tomb (proposed 34 m diameter cairn with chamber and boulder circle, dated 3600 BCE — oldest in Carrowmore). Tombs are small boulder circles with central dolmen (dolmen-circle), Swdish-style, satellites around Listoghil. Associated with Knocknarea's Queen Maeve's cairn horizon. Excavated 1977–96 by Burenhult showing Mesolithic to Bronze Age sequence; dating controversial (Scandinavian connection debated).
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Were small dolmens roofed or open? Early dating disputed 3600 vs 3800
Theories
- 01SwedishTRB-influenced early tomb province linking Sligo–Scandinavia; later re-assessed to Irish origin
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Listoghil c.3600 BCE; satellites c.3500–3000 BCE
- Period
- Middle Neolithic – Bronze Age
- Culture
- Carrowmore passage/boulder tradition (early)
- Purpose
- Megalithic cemetery with central tomb and satellite dolmens
- Abandoned
- Bronze Age
- Rediscovered
- Surveyed 1837 (Weld); excavated 1977–96 (Göran Burenhult, Stockholm)
- Excavation
- Excavated
Listoghil c.3600 BCE; satellites c.3500–3000 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1346 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
54.2500° N · 8.5200° W · 60 m · 2 mapped features
Listoghil central passage tomb
passage tomb34 m cairn with passage and chamber at cemetery centre
54.2500° N · 8.5200° WTomb 7 — boulder dolmen
dolmenTypical boulder circle with capstoned dolmen
54.2510° N · 8.5180° W
Gallery