Lough Gur Stone Circle (Grange)
Grange Stone Circle · Lios na Gráinsí · Fort of the Grange · Lough Gur C
Late Neolithic – Early Bronze Age (c.2500–2000 BCE)·Late Neolithic / Chalcolithic Limerick·🇮🇪 County Limerick, Munster, Ireland
About
About Lough Gur Stone Circle (Grange)
Ireland's largest stone circle (46 m embanked circle, 113 contiguous orthostats) on low rise 300 m west of Lough Gur, Co. Limerick, in exceptionally rich Neolithic to medieval archaeological landscape (Great Grange enclosure, wedge tombs, crannogs). Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age (c.2200–2000 BCE) embanked circle with entrance causeway oriented to summer solstice sunrise; largest stone Rannach Croim Duibh (2.8 m). Surrounds include smaller second circle 90 m north and alignment. Excavated 1939 by Seán P. Ó Ríordáin. Central pit with Early Bronze Age burial. Managed by OPW.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Exact calendrical alignment — solstice vs lunar standstill
- 02Relationship to adjacent smaller circle and Lough Gur crannogs
Theories
- 01Grange as assembly circle for dispersed lakeshore communities
- 02Embanked contiguous design reflects henge-circle hybrid tradition
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. 2200 BCE
- Period
- Late Neolithic – Early Bronze Age (c.2500–2000 BCE)
- Culture
- Late Neolithic / Chalcolithic Limerick
- Purpose
- Ritual/ceremonial stone circle with embankment and possible astronomical alignment
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 2200 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1383 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
52.5143° N · 8.5419° W · 50 m · 3 mapped features
Grange Main Circle
stone circle113 contiguous limestone orthostats in 46 m embanked ring
52.5143° N · 8.5419° WRannach Croim Duibh (largest stone)
standing stone2.8 m recumbent? tallest orthostat on northeast arc
52.5144° N · 8.5417° WSecondary Circle 90 m north
stone circleSmaller degraded stone circle companion
52.5150° N · 8.5419° W
Gallery