Ballykeel Dolmen and Cairn

Ballykeel near Mullaghbawn is a Neolithic burial monument broadly dated between 4000 and 2500 BC. Its massive capstone rests on upright stones above an octagonal chamber and is traditionally known as the Hag’s Chair. The chamber stands at the southern end of a long stone cairn, most of which has disappeared. Two parallel lines of carefully placed stones still define parts of its edges, showing that the surviving dolmen once belonged to a much larger structure. Excavation in 1963 identified an additional stone-lined grave inserted at the northern end of the cairn; this feature is no longer visible. Finds included numerous fragments of Neolithic pottery and a small number of flint tools. The monument consequently preserves evidence for both chamber construction and additional burial activity within the surrounding cairn. Period: Neolithic; broadly 4000–2500 BC Grid reference: H9952621329 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: "County Armagh - Ballykeel Dolmen and Cairn 20230301 from north" by Otter, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.