What is recorded here

Doonfeeny’s oldest witness still stands beside the Ballycastle road, a court tomb built from large stones placed upright in earth. It has watched carts, horses and children pass for centuries, unchanged while every living thing around it turned to dust. The dead were laid beneath stones chosen for their size and shape, not carved or decorated. What the builders believed about afterlife, they buried with them.

This record is listed in the SMR (1981) as ‘megalithic structure –possible’ based on the following description in the OS Letters (1838, 230 (89-90)): ‘there is a large sepulchral monument lying immediately to the right of the road leading from Ballycastle to Doonfeeny and not more than half a mile from the former. It is composed of large stones which are placed standing in the ground.’ It seems likely that this record refers to a court tomb (MA007-045001-) which is located c. 1km NW of Ballycastle village on the E (right) side of the road to Dunfeeny Upper townland. However it is possible that it refers to another court tomb (MA007-046----) also located in this area. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 24 July 2014

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.