Creevykeel Court Tomb
Creevykeel court cairn
Early Neolithic·Court Tomb tradition (Western Neolithic Ireland)·🇮🇪 County Sligo, Connacht, Ireland
About
About Creevykeel Court Tomb
One of Ireland's finest court tombs on Sligo coast near Mullaghmore: massive trapezoidal cairn 55.5 m long × 25 m wide covering oval court 13 × 10 m opening via entrance to two-chamber gallery (each 3.5 m) with side chamber and corbelling. Dated c.3500 BCE, classic northwestern court tradition. Excavated 1935 by Estyn Evans revealing Neolithic pottery (Western Ware) and lithics. Sea backdrop; well-preserved court facades to 1.6 m.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Court function — market or mortuary ritual?
Theories
- 01Court as forecourt for periodic ancestor gatherings, seaside territorial marker
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 3500 BCE
- Period
- Early Neolithic
- Culture
- Court Tomb tradition (Western Neolithic Ireland)
- Purpose
- Court tomb collective burial and ceremonial court
- Abandoned
- Late Neolithic
- Rediscovered
- Excavated 1935 (H. Hencken & E.E. Evans, Harvard)
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 3500 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1302 CE
Rediscovery
On the ground
Structures & features
54.4380° N · 8.4340° W · 20 m · 2 mapped features
Oval forecourt
court13×10 m oval court facing east defined by orthostats
54.4380° N · 8.4340° WTwin-chamber gallery
galleryTwo roofed chambers with side chamber, total 8 m gallery
54.4380° N · 8.4339° W
Gallery