Brownshill Dolmen

Brownshill Dolmen stands in the countryside a few kilometres east of Carlow town, in County Carlow. A megalithic portal tomb dating from the Neolithic period, roughly 4000 to 3000 BC, it is one of Ireland’s most striking prehistoric monuments and is protected as a National Monument.

The dolmen is best known for its enormous granite capstone, which is widely reputed to be the heaviest of its kind in Europe. Estimates of its weight vary between sources, generally ranging from around 100 tonnes to as much as 150 tonnes. The great stone slopes down towards the ground at one end and is supported at the other by upright portal stones and a door stone, a construction that has endured for some five thousand years. The site is also recorded under the name Kernanstown Cromlech.

The monument sits just off the R726 road and is signposted from Carlow town, with free public access. There is a short walk from the roadside parking area across a field to reach the stones, so sturdier footwear is worth considering in wet weather. As the tomb has never been excavated, much about the people who raised it and their purpose remains a matter of speculation, which adds to the sense of mystery surrounding the place.