Knockmany Chambered Cairn
Notes for ASGI/IoPI Spring Weekend Walk, 3 April 2004
Mark E. Bailey
Armagh Observatory
Getting There
Turn left outside the Armagh City Hotel and follow the main A28
Enniskillen Road leading out of Armagh. This takes you past the
village of Killylea (about 5 miles from Armagh), and then across the River
Blackwater past the entrance to the Caledon Estate and into the
architecturally attractive village of Caledon, approximately nine miles
from Armagh. Follow the main road through Caledon, turning sharp left
near the middle of the village, and continue to Auchnacloy, about sixteen
miles from Armagh.
Soon after leaving Auchnacloy the main road forks. Bear left at this
junction, signposted to Enniskillen, and follow the main road (still the
A28) past Favour Royal Forest to the next village of Augher. At this
point, which is a cross-roads, the A28 meets the main
Belfast-Dungannon-Enniskillen road (A4).
The minor road from Augher, which is signposted to Knockmany, leads
straight across the cross-roads. After a couple of miles you come to
another cross-roads, at which there is a gate and entrance (sharp right)
to the forestry commission 'Lower' Knockmany car park. The walk begins
and ends here, and rises through the forest to a height of approximately
230m, beside the megalithic tomb at the top of the nearby hill.
General Description
Knockmany (Cnoc mBaine = 'the Hill of Queen Baine', the wife of the first
century King
Tuathal Techtmar) is one of the better examples of megalithic
monuments having stones showing the characteristic spirals, swirls, and
'cup-and-ring' markings associated with the Boyne Culture and Loughcrew.
It is located at Grid Reference H 547 559 (Ordnance Survey Sheet 18), at
the top of a steep-sided conical hill approximately two miles north-west
of Augher, Co. Tyrone. The position commands extensive views of the
surrounding countryside in all directions.
View of the Knockmany Chambered Cairn from the south, showing the
modern enclosure. Image taken from
The Modern Antiquarian
The principal stones (orthostats) vary in height between approximately 1
and 2 metres, and are set in basin-shaped pits, or sockets, some
20-30cm deep cut into the bed-rock. In its present state the cairn is
an almost circular mound approximately 25m in diameter. Until fairly
recently (1959), the stones were openly exposed to the elements. However,
in order to protect them from vandalism and damage by weathering, lichen
and moss, a modern concrete and glass housing was constructed around the
stones, and this has recently been renewed by the Department of the
Environment, Environment and Heritage Service, from whom permission to
access the interior of the enclosure can be obtained.
Black and white photograph by R.J. Welch (Ulster Museum), showing
the view of Knockmany Chambered Cairn before the monument's protective
enclosure in 1959. Image taken from
Shee-Eire
Excavations of the site approximately 50 years ago, prior to its
enclosure, seem to have uncovered very little in the way of new
information beyond confirming the apparent absence of a passage into the
grave, and the lack of ancient artefacts and bones. In fact, the
principal finds seem to have been only some heavily burnt worked flint,
some fragments of a heavily cremated human bone, and a single sherd of
pottery.
The monument has never been accurately dated, but it is likely to have
been built sometime in the Neolithic or early Bronze Age,
c.3000-2000BC, thousands of years before the eponymous Queen Baine is
supposed to have lived.
Rock Art
The pecked designs and engravings on the stones (orthostats) are of
exceptional interest. There is, of course, no generally accepted
explanation as to what they mean nor why they were made, but some have
suggested that the markings are stylised representations of the human face
or eyes, while others have proposed simply that they have a religious
connotation or that they represent objects seen in the sky around that
time, such as fireballs (bright meteors), comets, or the Sun, Moon and
stars. There is some astronomical evidence to suggest that, in general
terms, the 'sky' might have been more active 5,000-10,000 years ago than
now, perhaps supporting a celestial model.
Views of the some of the principal stones in the Knockmany tomb
from within the modern enclosure, showing a variety of rock art and spiral
designs (M.E. Bailey).
Whatever the motivation for constructing the monument (and it is clear
that a substantial effort would have been involved, and presumably the
burial of a king or some other person of similarly high standing), it is
perhaps worth noting that similar forms of rock-art are found at
megalithic sites dispersed widely throughout the western fringes of the
British Isles and across Europe. For example, in addition to the
Loughcrew and
Newgrange examples, broadly similar designs are found both
on the nearby
Sess Kilgreen stone (Kilgreen = 'Church of the Sun') and as
far away as
Fuente de la Zarza, La Palma, in the Canary Islands.
Walk and Views
The walk leads from the lower car park past a lake, and then through the
forest up a gently sloping path until finally reaching the cairn at the
top of the hill. On a clear day, there are extensive views from this
point in all directions, for example towards the Sperrins in the North,
and Armagh and the Mournes towards the South-East.
Leaving the cairn, the path progresses downhill towards the upper car
park, and then, after a short stretch along a country lane, leads back
towards the starting point down a steep-sided river valley known as
Lumford's Glen. This passes a hidden waterfall known as Mad Women's
Leap.
The walk is along easily navigated forestry paths and country lanes,
although it can sometimes be muddy in places if conditions are wet. It is
about five miles in length and should last approximately two hours.
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Last Revised: 2009 November 23rd
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