Ballynoe Stone Circle

The Ballynoe Stone Circle is located in County Down on the Lecale Peninsula in Town Country Ballynoe (Irish An Baile Nua ) in Northern Ireland, four kilometers south of Downpatrick. His hybrid concept is unparalleled on the island. The only counterpart is the stone circle of Skiddaw in Cumbria. Ballynoe and Skiddaw lie at 54 ° 17 ' north on both sides of the Irish Sea.

The little disturbed stone circle still consists of 55 stones, some of which are up to 1.8 m high. The entrance seems to have lain in the West, where four large monoliths form a kind of double portal. The county has about 35 m in diameter and encloses two hills that are located under the centrally located long hill. The two, formerly of wider curbs, round hill were built within the existing circle. Outside the circle are, perhaps as remnants of a larger alignments, three pairs of tiles ( outlier ).

Ballynoe was excavated in the 1930s by AE van Giffen ( 1884-1973 ) partially. He revealed at the ends of the long hill on ( including a three-part ) each have a stone box. The boxes contained the burnt bones of seven individuals. In the hills there was a number wassergeglätteter stones. Purpose and date remain unclear. The finding is, according to Aubrey Burl (1926-2009) the result of a multi-phase use, which began in the late Neolithic period and ended in the early Bronze Age. From a Middle Neolithic shard of Carrowkeel ware is unclear whether it belongs to the stone circle, or to one of the hills.

Nearby are the ruins of the early Christian church at St. John's Point, and St. Cooey 's Holy Well.