Archaeology

Killinagh Church and St. Brigid’s Stones
The small church of Killinagh stands on the southern shores of Lough McNean, two miles west of Blacklion. A typical medieval church, Killinagh features a triple-light east window. Beyond its cemetery is a remarkable collection of sixteen bullaun stones (stones with man-made hollows). They may have been used to grind foodstuffs or dyes, and are claimed to have curative properties. These stones are known as St Brigid’s Stones, and were formerly used as cursing stones. Nearby is a circular well called St Brigid’s Well or Tobarbride.

Moneygashel Ring Fort
Prehistoric and medieval Ireland could be a dangerous place and it was often worth people's time to take precautions against attack. The fort at Moneygashel consists of a circular stone wall, in places up to three metres thick. There are even two small staircases built into it. On the south side is an underground chamber or souterrain used for storage and during hostilities, for shelter. It is impossible to date Moneygashel Fort precisely, but all the evidence points to somewhere between 500 and 1000 AD.

Cuilcagh Mountain
Cuilcagh Mountain is definitely worth the climb. Not only is it one of the best views over the surrounding countryside, but there are also the remains of a cairn or burial mound, possibly dating from c. 1500 BC. The climate was warmer then, and the farmers preferred the land along the slopes of hills and mountains to the boggy ground of the lowlands.

Brackley Lake/Crannog
Brackley is a large lake about a mile to the west of Bawnboy. A Crannog or artificial island can be seen from the shore. Crannogs were used for dwellings in Cavan where lakes are plentiful for over two thousand years. They were built by the nobility and ordinary farmers. While they were cramped and uncomfortable, they were often safer than dwellings on dry land. Access was either by rocks just under the surface of the water (and usually known only to the crannog's inhabitants, or by a cot, a form of flat-bottomed boat.

Bawnboy and Templeport
1.5 miles south of Bawnboy is Port Lake. There is a small church and cemetery on an island. This was the birthplace of St Mogue, founder of Drumlane, who was amongst the first to preach Christianity in Cavan. In the later Middle ages (1200-1600) there was a school of poetry here.

Derryragh or Darragh Fort
To the north of Ballymagovern, to the right of the Ballyconnell road is the Derryragh Hill Fort, dating from about 200 BC to 400 AD. This was one of the most important religious sites in the country, containing a shrine to Crom cruach, the Celtic sun god. The central shrine was covered in gold and was surrounded by twelve smaller shrines. The ceremonies included human sacrifices. None of the shrine survives.

Killycluggin Stone
A very fine example of a prehistoric carved stone was found at Killycluggin, 3 miles south west of Ballyconnell. The stone is covered with spiral decoration and may have been part of a fertility cult. It may date from c. 100 BC. The original is now in Cavan County Museum in Ballyjamesduff but there is a replica at Killycluggin crossroads. A gold collar, now in the National Museum, was also found here.

Legeelan Sweathouse (near Moneygashel post offices)
Sweat houses were a form of building common in west Cavan and neighbouring parts of Counties Leitrim and Fermanagh. They were small structures built of stone without mortar. A fire was lit in the central chamber and a patient would crawl inside and perspire for over an hour. They were used by sufferers from a variety of illnesses, from rheumatism to skin complaints. A 'patient' had to remove nearly all their clothes before going inside and it wasn't uncommon to find that their clothes had disappeared when they emerged! Sweathouses were used for many centuries, maybe millennia, until the 1920s.

Drumhownagh 'Altar'
Located five miles south west of Ballinagh. The 'Druid's altar' near the road looks like an altar, but it is another form of tomb originally covered by an earthen mound.

Drumlane Crannog
Located three miles south of Belturbet. Crannogs were artificial islands built in lakes for protection against attackers and wild animals. They were built by everyone regardless of social position and there are lots of them in Cavan. A crannog can be seen in the lake just behind the remains of the medieval abbey at Drumlane. They were used and reused between 1000 BC and 1600 AD.

Shantemon / 'Finn's Fingers'
Located 3.5 miles north east of Cavan town. A curious line of five stones, each one smaller than the other. It is referred to locally as 'Finn Mac Cool's fingers', from a legendary giant. The stones might be the remainder of a stone circle or they could have been used in some religious ritual, or for even as a prehistoric calendar. Date 2000 BC ?

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