I’m going to get all archaeological on you now. Unfortunately, Ross from Friends has given archaeology a bit of a bad name. Just remember Indiana Jones. He wasn’t a geek.

 

Standing stones, set up in rows, circles, as a part of tombs or just on their own are the most obvious link to the people who lived in this part of the world between 4 and 7 thousand years ago. They were farmers living in an organised society- we’re not taking Captain Caveman here. They were also ingenious engineers. Even using modern equipment today it’s quite a difficult job getting slabs weighing many tons to balance on top of other stones set upright in the ground, and more importantly, getting them to stay that way for thousands of years. It’s no wonder that previous generations have attributed these monuments to the work of giants, super humans or even aliens.

The mystery is why. We can guess that they were for religious purposes. It’s hard to conceive of any other reason for such an effort. The builders aligned their monuments to acknowledge features in the surrounding landscape and to the movements of heavenly bodies – often a midwinter sunset over a clear landmark. This would suggest worship of both land and sky and in particular, the sun.

No two are the same but monuments in certain areas share characteristics. In County Cork the entrance to the circle is usually clearly marked by two tall pillar stones. On the opposite side of the circle, a low stone set on its side creates a focal point and may have functioned as an altar.

It’s a mixture of the permanence and mystery that draws me to these places. Many are now ruinous, lying neglected in the corner of a field. It can be hard to visualise them as functioning temples built and maintained by an ancient community for purposes now lost in time.

Armed with a little knowledge, it’s hard to tire of them. Trust me.