August 2009
Our third Field Day of 2009 was to Kilclooney, near Portnoo. A large attendance filled the hall of the very fine Dolmen Centre. The President of the Society, Col. Declan O’Carroll welcomed everyone and introduced our Guide, Ms. Paula Harvey, Lecturer in UCD and who, as a former curator of the Donegal County Museum and Field Monument Officer with Donegal County Council, is a well known and highly regarded authority on Donegal’s ancient heritage.
Paula began with an informative, illustrated talk on the various types of megalithic tombs, their purpose and current states of preservation, particularly those in Donegal. This whetted the appetite of the audience, eager now to set out and view the local examples of these awe-inspiring structures.
A short walk brought us to the first monument, the large portal tomb of Kilclooney, the one seen in many tourist guide books and archaeological journals. This funerary monument has dominated the local landscape for more than 5,000 years. We could only marvel at the engineering skills that enabled its construction in the Neolithic Age. This site is unique in that, within the same mound, there is a second portal tomb, an exact replica of the larger tomb and only about nine metres from it.
Our next stop was the court tomb of Kilclooney. The massive entrance-jambs lead into a larger chamber, the place of burial. The knowledge and enthusiasm of our Guide opened our minds and stirred all our imaginations as we considered the effort required in the construction of these massive monuments and their possible uses in funeral rituals and community ceremonies.
The Field Day concluded with some very interesting questions and creative speculation, making for a most enjoyable experience. Declan then thanked Paula for acting as our Guide for the occasion and enlightening all present about the significance of the Kilclooney monuments.
Some of the group at the Kilclooney Field Day