With its prominent and central open court, Creevykeel Court Mausoleum is one of the finest court mausoleums in Ireland. The site’s earliest use dates back some 4,500 years, but it is a multi-era and multi-purpose structure that has attracted people through the ages.
The tomb is a prehistoric monument located in County Sligo, in the Connacht province of Ireland. While court tombs can be found in various parts of the west and north of Ireland, Creevykeel Court Tomb is often considered one of the finest examples of this type of tomb in the land. water. Although the tomb was built in Prehistoric times, there is evidence that it was reused during the early Christian period.
Creevykeel Court Tomb. Credit: Ioannis Syrigos
Enchanting castle with giant’s grave
Creevykeel Court Tomb is located at the foot of Mount Tievebaun, not far from the sea in the village of Mullaghmore. This megalithic tomb is known locally as Caisleán Bhaoisgin which, translated from Irish, can be said to mean ‘The Enchanted Castle’.
The imperial tomb was also known as the ‘Colossal Tomb’ when it was first cataloged in 1909 and continues to carry an air of mystery to this day:
“A local said he saw a light coming from inside the tomb…The only explanation he could give was that it was ‘little people’…This was their property Here, you see. At that time it had not been excavated. All are covered with trees. So, looking at it at the time it was much more sinister than it is now.”
Features of the Creevykeel Court Tomb
As its name suggests, the Creevykeel Court Tomb is a type of mausoleum structure known as a ‘court tomb’. Such tombs are found in the west and north of Ireland, and the Creevykeel Court Tomb is one of the best examples of this type of funerary structure. Imperial tombs were almost always oriented north to south and most were originally covered by cairns, although in many cases these structures have disappeared.
One of the most important features of imperial tombs is the open courtyard, which gives this type of funerary structure its name. These courtyards may have been used for ceremonial activities, including ancestor worship and burial ceremonies, most likely witnessed by an entire tribe.
The central court can be seen here at Creevykeel Court Tomb. Credit: Ioannis Syrigos
Like other mausoleums, Creevykeel Court Mausoleum has an oval courtyard. The entrance to the courtyard is on the east side and is connected by a narrow walkway lined with standing stones. The courtyard of Creevykeel Court Mausoleum is 15 meters (49 feet) long and 9 meters (29.5 feet) wide, making it one of the largest in Ireland. At the western end of the courtyard is the gallery, which served as the structure’s burial chamber. At the entrance of this gallery are two giant stones (standing stones of the entrance), on top of which is a stone slab with a lintel. This lintel had fallen out of position but was repositioned during the restoration of the monument. The area in front of this entrance has been paved.
The burial chamber is entered through an entrance with two stone jambs topped by a stone lintel. Credit: Ioannis Syrigos
The gallery of the Creevykeel Court Tomb is divided into two compartments by another set of dividing stones. In these two rooms, four groups of cremated bones were discovered. The gallery would have been covered by a cairn.
Artifacts found at Creevykeel Court mausoleum
Although there are three side galleries in the mausoleum, no human remains have been excavated. Instead, artifacts such as pottery shards, quartz crystals, and flint arrowheads were found inside them.
The second room is entered through another set of stone dividers. Credit: Ioannis Syrigos
As the pottery at the site includes undecorated Neolithic and Early Bronze Age pottery, it is thought that the first parts of the Creevykeel Court Tombs were built during the Bronze Age. Late Neolithic, that is, around 2500 BC. A construction to the northwest of the court tomb has been dated to the early Christian period, suggesting that the tomb, which by then would have been abandoned, was reused.
In this structure, as well as in three fireplaces at the end of the courtyard, the remains of an original metal foundry were discovered, which suggests that the function of the site had been altered. However, it has been suggested that placing the metal foundry in the tomb was intended to evoke the spiritual power of the site, which has led to the belief that these ancient metalworkers were blessed with magical power.
The structure dates back to the early Christian period and was used for metalworking. Credit: Ioannis Syrigos
Tombs in local folklore
The Creevykeel Court Tomb was first listed in the OS Name Book in 1909. It was later excavated in 1935 by H. O’Neill Hencken and the Fourth Harvard Archaeological Expedition in Ireland. In addition to conducting archaeological work at the site, Hencken also recorded local folklore about the royal tomb and had the monument rebuilt.
Today, Creevykeel Court Tomb is a tourist attraction and for many locals it still retains the magic and charm that it has for thousands of years.
At Creevykeel,
Sun shining,
The cuckoo radiates charm;
clear dew drops
Tie up the newly grown grass
on the farms early in the morning.
We pursue a deadly plot
but don’t care or complain
in front of this ancient ‘tomb of the giant’
, where there is only the sound of cuckoos stirring
and the sun shines.
Death is an outdated ritual,
a prehistoric bone burned,
It’s also far away for us, those who have strayed here
– fresh from bed and breakfast –
like this bone stone tomb.
The sound of a cuckoo.
The sheep bounced around on spring legs.
First fly of the year
flew through the cottage window.
The day is gradually getting hotter
in Creevykeel.
“Song” by Dennis O’Driscoll, 1996
