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Poulnabrone: Story Behind the Best-Preserved Dolmen in Ireland

February 23, 2021

With of over 1500 megalithic tombs in Ireland, approximately 150 of these are dolmens or portal tombs. The one located in Poulnabrone, Co. Clare has been classed as the oldest and best-preserved in the country. Situated in the centre of the Burren, hundreds of thousands of people visit this region of western Ireland every year.

Very few of these portal tombs have been excavated and evidence found during the excavation of Poulnabrone has given researchers a good insight into local life during the Neolithic period. The tomb has been severely damaged over the years but luckily, after being purchased by the state in 2001, preservation has remained a top priority.

The Appeal of the Burren

The Burren is home to almost 100 megalithic tombs, the majority of which are wedge tombs. What makes the Burren so unique is the erosion of the landscape over thousands of years, revealing a pavement of glacial-era limestone. Popular destinations around this area include a collection of cliffs, rock faces, caves, and archaeological sites, e.g., Poulawack Cairn and Glencurrin Cave.

Limestone pavement of the Burren

Poulnabrone (Poll na Brón) is the most famous megalithic tomb situated here, known as a portal tomb or dolmen. The name means ‘the hollow of the quern stone’ but it is often referred to as ‘hollow of the sorrows.’  It can be recognised by the entrance, made from a massive capstone resting on top of a line of standing stones. It would have led into a single chamber once covered by large cairns of stone but, this entrance way is all that remains today.

Within one kilometre of Poulnabrone, over 180 archaeological sites have been recorded.  Situated in the centre of the Burren, the reason that a lot of the remains have been so well preserved is because of the limestone bedrock it is situated on.

The fact that the Burren and nearby Cliffs of Moher have been given the status UNESCO Global Geopark is another reason this a fascinating site to visit. The Burren is one of the few areas in the world where Artic, Alpine and Mediterranean plants grow together in the same location.

Construction: How and Why

Megalithic tombs were first built during the Neolithic period (c.4000-2500 BC). As the first farming communities emerged, residents could remain living in the same location and the numbers began to grow.

The passage tomb at Newgrange is the most famous example. Construction would have required a large number of people, managed by a skilled leader. Now that a surplus amount of food could be developed through farming, these people could spend more time out working on a project.

It has been agreed that the stone used at Poulnabrone was taken from the local area but, it cannot be confirmed how this stone was transported onto the site. It was most likely moved using a combination of ropes and wooden rollers, with a mixture of man and animal power. Standing at 5.9 feet (1.8 metres) high and 12 feet (3.6 metres) long, the stones on the dolmen would have weighed tonnes but, were expertly positioned and have remained in place thousands of years later.

Megalithic tombs are known to have been built for a number of different reasons and it is difficult to confirm what a specific tomb was used for. Many large tombs could have taken years to build but might only hold ten people so, why were these people chosen? Were religious ceremonies also carried out in these places? These are just a couple of the questions that often cannot be answered.

One theory about the significance of portal tombs is that they were designed to allow the soul to travel easily from one world to another. Another is that this gateway was a means of discouraging evil spirits from entering the land of the living.

Many of the Celtic spirits people believed in were greatly feared at the time. ‘The Morrigan’ is the phantom queen connected with war, death, and resurrection. The ‘Giants Ring’ in Ballynahatty, near Belfast was designed as a form of defence against these forms of spirits and there are questions as to whether Poulnabrone was built for the same reason.

Most of these theories cannot be proven but, the excavation of Poulnabrone has led to the discovery of reliable information about life at the time.

Excavation of Poulnabrone

The Burren has been a popular tourist attraction since the mid-19th century. Unfortunately, the growing number of tourists has affected the preservation and safety of Poulnabrone.

Graffiti became a problem, with visitors often re-arranging the surrounding limestone to form ‘mini dolmens’. The capstone on top was damaged by visitors who decided to climb on top of the tomb. In 1985, it was predicted that the dolmen was likely to collapse unless restoration work began quickly.

The tomb first needed to be dismantled and after this, excavation work began. Poulnabrone is one of the few dolmens in the country that has been excavated. This first excavation was in 1986.

The excavation was led by Dr. Ann Lynch, who stated in 2018:

In Poulnabrone we found the remains of at least 36 individuals within the chamber. The beauty of Poulnabrone is because it’s on the limestone bedrock the bone survives very well. That is really what has given us a lot of information about the society who built the tomb.[1]

A large number of grave goods were also found. These include stone axe heads, stone beads, pottery fragments, quartz crystals, arrowheads, and flint scrapers. One impressive piece mentioned by Dr. Lynch is a bone and antler pendant.

After collections of bones were carbon-dated, it was agreed that burials took place on this site for over 600 years, with the bones dating between 3800 BC and 3200 BC. This makes the tomb at least 600 years older than Newgrange. The exact date of construction cannot be identified.

The collection of well-preserved, physical remains has made it easier to understand what life was like for people at the time.  With evidence of osteoarthritis and violence, it has been confirmed that they lived a very physical lifestyle.

One of the hip bones discovered was even embedded with an arrowhead. In 2019, the ‘Death on the Burren Exhibition’ displayed a collection of these pieces at the Clare County Museum, asking people to come up with their own explanation as to why this hip had been hit with an arrow.

When restoration of the dolmen took place, the broken capstone was replaced with a replica piece made from local limestone. It was obvious that this restored tomb needed to be well protected but, it was agreed this would not be possible unless the state claimed ownership of the land.

Modern-Day Preservation

In 2001, the state finally purchased the dolmen and surrounding 16 acres from a local landowner. Costing £300,000 this was the most expensive piece of land with limestone pavement, that was ever bought in the Burren.

Restoration had taken place in the 1980’s but preservation was necessary, especially with the growing number of tourists visiting the site every year.

The Minister for Arts and Heritage Sile de Valera stated:

Poulnabrone is one of the most significant symbols of our built heritage, and the future care and preservation of the dolmen and its environs can now be secured for the benefit of Clare, the nation, and for future generations. All people with an interest in Irish history, culture and heritage will welcome this news.[3]

One of the main aims was the effective management of tourists entering the site. In 2000, de Valera stated that approximately 100,000 people visited the site every year and access pathways needed to be built, guiding them along a specific route. A permanent ranger was employed on the site, to protect the dolmen from forms of vandalism such as graffiti.

Previous land-owner Mr. Tommy Byrnes stated:

Down the years the dolmen had been abused by some tourists standing and walking on it, while some graffiti has been scraped on to it. It caused me some heartache, because trying to offer it satisfactory protection was impossible, as it would mean being there 24 hours a day.

After selling the site, he said that he felt:

Lonely parting with the dolmen, but happy now that the State will be able to give it adequate protection. [4]

When the site was first purchased, the road area was often blocked by parked coaches. Luckily, a large car park was built for visitors in 2007. Unfortunately, there was still a habit of people building mini dolmens out of surrounding stones. In 2009, school children even gathered to dismantle mini dolmens at a site two miles away from Poulnabrone. At least this makes it clear that local support is available to help people cope with the problem.

Conclusion

With the number of megalithic tombs present in Ireland, very few dolmens have been excavated and people often wonder what we could learn about local communities at the time if they were. In most cases, excavation is impossible without dismantling the tomb.

Luckily, Poulnabrone is recognised as the best-preserved example in the country and work continues to make sure that things remain this way. The finds during excavation have allowed us to find out a lot more about the local community. Unanswered questions such as the reason why one of the bodies found was wounded in the hip, make it an even more impressive site that is well worth visiting.

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