Cairn atop Knocknarea

Photograph by Michael Sundermeier

Located a few miles from Sligo Town, Co. Sligo, this massive mound, is 35 feet high and 200 feet in diameter. Although it has never been excavated, it probably contains one or more passage tombs. Unlike the famous passage tombs in the Boyne Valley in the East, which were built largely of earth with stone facings, this is covered entirely with large stones. Like them, it is probably somewhere around 5,000 years old. Legend has it that this cairn contains the grave of Queen Medb (Maeve) who, from her vantage point on the heights of Knocknarea, is standing perpetual watch against any possible attacks from Ulster.