Megalithic passage tomb discovered at Brú na Bóinne in Ireland

The Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site in County Meath (Contae na Mí) in the east of Ireland, is a remarkable place. It is famous for the three passage tombs, Knowth, Newgrange and Dowth, built some 5,000 years ago in the Neolithic or Late Stone Age. Ninety monuments have also so far been recorded in the area. Recently the exceptionally dry weather experienced in Ireland has provided the conditions necessary for the site of a hidden henge to be seen. There is clearly more hidden gems yet to be found and now one has been discovered.

In what has been described by archaeologists as "the find of a lifetime" , a Megalithic passage tomb dating back some 5,500 years has been found at Dowth Hall. It was made during excavations carried out by the agri-technology company Devenish in partnership with University College Dublin School of Archaeology. At present  two burial chambers have been discovered within the western part of the main passage tomb, over which a large stone cairn was built. Six kerbstones have been identified to date, which formed part of a ring of stones that around the cairn perimeter. In a beautiful example of megalithic art, one kerbstone is heavily decorated with Neolithic carvings. Dr Stephen Davis of the UCD School of Archaeology told Irish broadcaster RTÉ': "This is the most significant megalithic find in Ireland in the last 50 years, since the excavation of Knowth.

"The spate of archaeological discoveries in Brú na Bóinne in recent weeks highlights what a globally significant place this is."