What is recorded here

Carn is a one-metre-high cairn of earth and stones on Holy Well Hill in County Donegal, surrounding a tilting stone slab grave and a forgotten survey marker. It sits at the border with County Derry, where the mountain wind still moves across the stones and the local story calls the place a holy well. The grave leans inward under the weight of the cairn, as if the hill is slowly closing its hand around the dead and the measurements of men alike.

A cairn (DG047-002002-) of earth and stones 1m high surrounded by an earth and stone bank with an overall diameter of 15m. Slightly W of the highest point of the cairn is a stone slab-lined grave (DG047-002003-), 1.5m N-S and 0.85m E-W. It is tilting inwards under pressure from the cairn. A mound of stones on top of the cairn is probably the remains of a trigonometrical station. It is situated on the summit of Holy Well Hill in mountain terrain on the border with County Derry and is regarded as a holy well (DG047-002001-) locally. The above description was derived from the 'Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. A description of the field antiquities of the County from the Mesolithic Period to the 17th century.' Compiled by: Brian Lacey with Eamon Cody, Claire Cotter, Judy Cuppage, Noel Dunne, Vincent Hurley, Celie O'Rahilly, Paul Walsh and Seán Ó Nualláin (Lifford: Donegal County Council, 1983). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated. Date of upload: 22 September 2008

Neolithic cairn and slab-lined grave, dating to approximately 4000–2500 BCE. The site represents a burial monument with possible ritual significance, typical of early farming communities in the region.

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