Portballintrae, Co. Antrim
In legend, these 40,000 interlocking blocks of stone were the first segment of a roadway stretching across the sea to Scotland. It was built, the story goes, by Fionn mac Cumhaill so that he might battle Benandonner, his rival across the sea.
Ballyferriter, Co. Kerry
There is little left to see at Dún An Óir. The earthworks from the hastily-constructed 1580 fortification have been eroded by weather and waves. There is no evidence of the October day centuries ago when 600 people were slain on this spot.
Tulsk, Co. Roscommon
Rathcroghan has both a geographic and a symbolic presence. It is an archaeological treasure trove, but it also is the venue of a queen-goddess with the power of conferring legitimacy on the tribal kings of ancient Ireland.
Knockainey, Co. Limerick
This sacred hill of the fairy queen Áine, who was known as both sun goddess and love goddess, was a ceremonial site long before the first stirrings of a Celtic mythology. It remains sacred for some visitors today.
Rosses, Co. Sligo
“At the northern corner of Rosses is a little promontory of sand and rocks and grass: a mournful, haunted place. No wise peasant would fall asleep under its low cliff…”
William Butler Yeats, “Drumcliff and Rosses”
Navan, Co. Armagh
Not a natural feature such as a holy well, this artificial pool was dug out, and allowed to fill in with water, to create a ritual site sometime in the first millennium BCE. There is no other site like it in Ireland.
Kells, Co. Meath
The Teltown Fair was said to include Olympic-like competitions of strength and agility, even horse races and staged battles. There was also a nearby spot where young men and women could join in a yearlong trial marriage.
Ballynahatty, Co. Down
Unique in the country for its central stone tomb, this monument is the largest enclosed ceremonial space in Ireland. The top of the bank is flat, providing a viewing platform for the rituals enacted here in prehistory.
Moynalty, Co. Meath
Ireland has remnants of more than 45,000 ringforts. There were once many more, now leveled and lost. That so many have survived is due in part to their being known as the homes of the fairies.
Portaferry, Co. Down
This monument, known locally as “Tara Fort,” sits on a prominent hilltop southeast of Portaferry, on Northern Ireland’s Ards Peninsula. Thomas McKeating claimed that "these fairies were supposed to be seen sittin’ underneath a tree, singin’ and playin’ their music."
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