Drumskinny Stone Circle – Fermanagh’s Stonehenge!

There are many examples of stone circles in high bogland in North Fermanagh and neighbouring counties. Based on the recovery of artefacts, which I refer to later, in the 1962 excavation of this site it is thought to date from around 2000 BC or earlier – the early bronze age – and apparently the peak of the “stone circle era”. This is one of the best preserved stone circle sites in the region and one of the most easily accessible. A very pleasant stop as you tour the area generally though it is substantially smaller than a stone circle complex of Beaghmore close to Cookstown, Co Tyrone (approximately 60kms distance) – which I have not visited yet. It too has circles, cairns and lines of stones similar to Drumskinny.

What this site was used for is unknown but it was most likely used for some form of religious practice, astronomical observations and/ or calendar functions. The site excavation did not uncover a lot -a hollow-scraper and a few flints were found under and around the cairn and a sherd of Western Neolithic pottery was found near a circle stone at the east. There was no evidence that the site was used for burials – as was often the use of sites like this.

The main stone circle is approximately 13 metres in diameter. It originally had 39 upright stones up to 1.8 metres in height, with a possible (assuming stones are in their original place, the alignment is not great) gap to the northwest where there is a small cairn of stones contained within a kerb almost 4 metres in diameter. Stretching south from the cairn is a 15-metre-long alignment of 23 small stones. The gravel throughout the site is there merely to keep weeds at bay and improve access to this otherwise boggy site – the original surrounds would have been grass/peat.

While the majority of the stones are original, a number are replacements. These are easily identified as they are stamped “MOF” – which rather curiously stands for the Ministry of Finance which has taken care of the site since 1934. Who would have thought that the MOF had a branch called the Ancients Monuments Branch?

Opening hours: 24/7

Entrance fee: Free

Address: Drumskinney (outside Kesh)
Directions: From Kesh, take the B 4 east to B 72 north. Continue north on the B 72 about 5 to 6 kilometers and watch for the signpost to the left.

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This blog entry is one of a group (loop) of entries based on many trips to Enniskillen. I suggest you continue with my next entry – Janus and the Lusty Man – or to start the loop at the beginning go to my introductory entry – “Fare thee well Enniskillen, ………..”

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