Annaghmare Court Tomb — The Black Castle

Annaghmare is a Neolithic court tomb near Crossmaglen in County Armagh, recorded under the alternative name the Black Castle. That later name should not be mistaken for evidence that the prehistoric structure was originally a medieval fortification. Its most striking surviving feature is a horseshoe-shaped forecourt defined by large upright stones, with dry-stone walling filling the gaps. Some uprights reach nearly two metres in height, giving the entrance area a substantial architectural presence. Excavations in 1963–64 exposed features that were retained in place, contributing to the monument’s unusually clear surviving layout. As a court tomb, it belongs to a wider tradition of burial monuments in which an open court was associated with chambers within a cairn. The particular ceremonies performed here and the identities of its occupants are not established by the sources used for this account. Period: Neolithic Grid reference: H9049017820 Protection: State Care and Scheduled Source: Department for Communities NI Sites and Monuments Record, https://apps.communities-ni.gov.uk/NISMR-PUBLIC/Default.aspx (Open Government Licence). Contains Department for Communities Historic Environment Division data licensed under the Open Government Licence. Banner photo: "Achadh an Marbh/Annaghmare Court Tomb. Annaghmare TD, Crossmaglen" by Eric Jones, via Geograph (https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4172647), licensed CC BY-SA 2.0.