Location – This stone circle is quite difficult to find and I would recommend bringing an Ordnance Survey map with you. Take the R499 west from Silvermines and take a left onto the L2110. A few kilometres along take a right down a small road leading through forested land. About 4km along here you will see an old abandoned cottage on the right hand side next to an overgrown trackway. Park here and walk 300m up the trackway. There is a fence on the left leading into a field. From here walk diagonally to the right and you should find the circle.
OS: R 83821 67801 (map 59)
Longitude: -8.2404138
Latitude: 52.761291
Description and History – This stone circle, while small, was absolutely fantastic to visit. It’s hard to get to, but that makes the reward of finally getting to it so special, and the views from here of Slievekimalta (Keeper Hill) are spectacular. On the 1840 Ordnance Survey map the circle is referred to as “Firbreaga.” The circle is comprised of about 11 standing stones, although there are clearly a few missing now, so the true number could be about 15. The circle is 12.5m in diameter and the tallest is about 1.9m high while some of the stones barely protrude above ground level. There is a recumbent stone in the centre of the stone circle. Anthony Weir of Irish Megaliths has speculated that the tall stone forms a line through the circle towards a notch in the hill. I wonder if this could be a possible solar or lunar alignment. It would be interesting to investigate this possibility. Ó Nualláin (1987) has speculated that there may have been a double row of stones here as several stones are located 60cm to 1m further out from the main circle. There are also two outlying stones 3m away from the circle, which may be outliers or possibly stones that had been removed at some point from the main circle. Some of the smaller stones definitely appear to have been broken off and were likely taller originally.
Difficulty – This is a tricky one to find and get to. You will need a certain level of fitness and I would recommend going in good weather as it does get very boggy here after rain. Remember that this is on private land.
Date of Visit – 19th June, 2010
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