Marks of Time
Historic Buildings as  illustrations of the past.
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The Early Region

Grave markers such as dolmens , cairns and court tombs  are the most distinctive architectural legacy of prehistory to be found in Ulster. Often in  windswept and inaccessible places they can be features of great character and presence. They are a strong reminder of the thousands of years that humans have  inhabited this area. Most dolmens, like this example at Tirnony near Maghera, would have been covered in a cairn of stones when originally built, as would the later  triangular shaped 'court cairns'. This provided a relative unity of appearance in the early landscape.

Later generations clearly honoured some of these spaces for such features have been found at the centre of subsequent circular earthworks such as at Grianan of Aleach (recorded in the 1830's),  at Burt in Co. Donegal, or the  ritual centre of the Giant's Ring to the south of Belfast.  The circular theme of these spaces was to become a dominant form in subsequent centuries with the form found at great royal sites such as Emain  Macha to the south of Armagh,  and in the earthen ringforts or raths which are scattered accoss the region.

These, along with similar circular artificial islands in lakes called 'crannogs', appear to have been the dominant  architectural form to  at least the Twelfth Century. The circular bank enclosed circular buildings  and  allowed the retention of animals in a strongly agricultural  society.


Picture
Tirnony Dolmen, Maghera, Co. L'derry.
Picture
 Grianan of Alieach, Burt, Co Donegal, based on an 1830 drawing.
Picture
Navan Fort (Emain Macha), Co. Armagh.
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