Carn — Ballynarry

This monument lies c. 4km NW of Buncrana and stands on level arable land c. 450m from Stragill Strand on the E side of Lough Swilly. There is an extensive outlook westward across the lough, but rising ground to the E restricts the view inland. Little of the structure now survives. At the E are four courtstones, two representing the inner end of its northern arm and the other two the inner end of the southern arm. Approximately 2m W of these there are two opposed orthostats, the last remains of the gallery. Beyond these is a large displaced slab. The surviving stones rise above the surface of a grass-grown, flat-topped, round mound that measures 9.5m E-W by 9.3m N-S. It is 0.7m high and has a well-defined, steep-faced perimeter. Stones gathered from the field have been dumped on it. The inner ends of the court are 1.2m apart. The inner one of the two stones of the northern arm is 0.95m high. It rises 0.6m above the top of the adjoining courtstone. The inner courtstone at the S is pitched outward and would stand 0.45m high if upright. It may also have served as an entrance jamb. The adjoining courtstone is 0.6m high. The surviving stone at the N side of the gallery is 0.35m high. The stone on the S side is 0.15m high. The displaced slab W of these is partly concealed. It measures 1.2m by at least 0.8m and is 0.25m thick. It may have served as backstone to the gallery. If so, a gallery length of c. 4m is indicated. Colhoun 1949, 116 ('Ballinarry'); de Valera 1960, 104-5, DG. 4; Ó Nualláin 1983a, 16, no. 6; SMR 1987, 29:1; Ó Nualláin 1989, 117; Colhoun 1995, 69, no. 29/16; RMP 1995, 29:1. The above description was published in the 'Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume VI, County Donegal.' Compiled by: Eamon Cody (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). Date of upload: 22 September 2008 See linked document with details from Eamon Cody, Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume VI. County Donegal. (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002).