As the dolmens were said to be built by fairies and therefore regarded with superstitious dread, it helped to preserve the structures. Popular culture often depicts fairies as benevolent winged creatures, but according to Irish folklore, they are a great deal more malicious. This monument has been the source of controversy in the past and archaeologists claim that the site and its environment is under threat from over-tourism. The monument is protected by the Irish government and in the 1980s the dolmen had to be restored after the capstone cracked. By building it on higher ground, it marked the boundary of the tribe who inhabited the locality. Scholars have argued that the structure was not only a memorial monument but also a territorial marker. This location was also likley used for burials in the early Celtic period. This is based on the discovery of the skeleton of an infant interred here in around 1500 BC. It appears that the dolmen was a ritual site and was still regarded as a sacred place in the Bronze Age. Location of Poulnabrone dolmen in the Burren National Park, southwest of Ireland ( Vincent / Adobe Stock) Examinations of the remains show that few lived beyond 40 years and many had arthritis at an early age. Archaeologists believe that the bodies may have been ritually purified by fire and their bones then deposited in the burial area. Excavations in the 1980s revealed the remains of over 30 individuals that date to about 3200 BC. The remoteness of the location means that it was hard to access, but the dolmen was probably used to bury members of the local elites for many centuries. Poulnabrone can be translated to ‘hole in the quern stone’. The mysterious megalith is set in the spectacular landscape, in a remote area in the County of Clare, and is thought to date between 39 BC, the late Neolithic period. The History and Mysteries of Poulnabrone Dolmen Located in the west of the island, this portal tomb is one of the best known of the 200 found in Ireland. All have a story to tell and one site that provides fascinating insight into the Stone Age society is the Poulnabrone dolmen.
Incredible monuments dating back to various ages are found throughout Ireland, including the Giant’s Causeway, the Blarney Stone, and Fort Newgrange, which is older than the pyramids.
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