Dowth Tumulus

The following description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 10 July 2007 This great mound, comparable in original size with those at Newgrange (ME019-045----) and (ME019-030----), is not as well preserved. Much of the material to W was removed at various times in the past and in 1847, when in the course of excavation a large crater was dug into the top of the mound. This monument comprises a kerbed mound, 85m in diam., and 15m in H, covering two passage-tombs opening onto its W side. The N tomb, 12.5m long, is of cruciform shape; an annex of two chambers opens off S recess. A reconstructed stone basin lies in centre of chamber. S tomb is 8.25m long and comprises a short passage leading to a sub-circular chamber with a single recess opening off its SE side. A number of kerb stones and structural stones in both tombs bear megalithic art. (Man-made underground passage (ME020-017001-) built into the mound. (PRIA 1983, 5-190)

Neolithic passage tomb, dating to approximately 3500–2500 BCE. Dowth is part of the Brú na Bóinne complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is significant for its astronomical alignments and elaborate internal chamber structure.