The Amazing Magical and Mystical Sites in Ireland

There are some incredible mystical sites in Ireland.

In fact, throughout Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England and Northern France — namely Brittany — you’ll find a lot of stone circles, standing stones and prehistoric burial chambers.

Scotland may have the most, but I haven’t had the chance to explore these — yet.

Fingers crossed for a return visit to Scotland in 2020. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🤞

But I have visited a few mysterious and intriguing sites in Ireland and I have loved every one of them I’ve experienced.

There really is something moving about these destinations.

I find myself wondering about the people — what they experienced in every day life, why they built these structures and stone circles.

I’m in awe of how in tune with the earth they seemed to be.

They moved with the seasons, letting the sun, moon and stars guide their lives.

So in honor of winter solstice — the shortest day of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere — here are some of my favorite mystical sites in Ireland that I’ve experienced.

And there are a few I have on my “I want to visit” list.

 

Mystical sites in Ireland I’ve experienced

Newgrange

Newgrange is the star of the mystical sites in Ireland and is probably the most visited and most famous.

It’s a passage tomb that dates back to about 3200BC.

And it’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.

Seriously.

I’m quite sure my jaw dropped on my first visit to Newgrange.

Located in County Meath and just an hour or so from Dublin, Newgrange sits in the sacred Boyne River valley along with Knowth and Dowth.

This is what is known as the Brú na Bóinne area.

Brú na Bóinne means “palace of the Boyne” and it was so named because it’s this part of the Boyne River where the ancient people of Ireland built these incredible structures.

There are a few other sites in this list from the area.

Anyway…

Newgrange is lined up so that on winter solstice morning at sunrise, the small inner chamber lights up.

They do a fabulous re-creation of this on the tour.

It’s amazing!

The tour itself is highly informative and very fascinating.

I’m a huge fan of Newgrange and recommend it to all of my travel clients!

Here’s something that you might be interested in — you can enter your name in a lottery to actually be at Newgrange on Winter Solstice morning to witness the real thing.

Tip: You must take a guided tour which begins at the visitor center.

 

Knowth

Knowth is another mystical site in Ireland that is part of the Brú na Bóinne area of County Meath.

And you can visit this site along with Newgrange.

I visited Knowth for the first time in 2018.

Love it!

But it’s a different experience from Newgrange.

Knowth has 2 entrances and 2 passage tombs.

It also has satellite mounds/passage tombs scattered about the site.

The rock art here is extraordinary — way cool!

The downfall to Knowth is you can’t go inside the chambers as it’s still being excavated.

So while you are allowed to enter a small chamber immediately inside Knowth, you don’t get to go way inside of it like you do at Newgrange.

But you get a look down a passage way and it looks phenomenal.

Tip: You must take a guided tour which begins at the visitor center AND do take a good look at the stone carvings as they are amazing!

 

Hill of Tara

This is one of those magical sites that requires some imagination — and some background and history.

The Hill of Tara is one of the most sacred places in Ireland.

It is said that 142 kings reigned here in prehistoric and historic times.

In ancient Irish religion and mythology the Hill of Tara was the sacred place of dwelling for the gods.

And it was the entrance to the “otherworld” which we might think of as the afterlife.

The Hill of Tara is pretty much just a hill how.

But they have found passage tombs here as well as indications under the earth that there was a huge temple at Tara once upon a time.

The Hill of Tara dates back to the late Stone Age which puts it at about 2500 to 2000BC.

But it was probably in the early Christian times (early AD times) that it was at its most prominent as a place of political and religious importance.

Remember that Christianity didn’t come to Ireland until the 5th century — later than a lot of other parts of Europe.

What you see at this mystical site in Ireland are indentations in the earth as well as uplifts of the ground in spots.

So you need to use you imagination as to what the Hill of Tara was like in ancient times.

There is a single standing stone on the hill thought to be the Stone of Destiny.

It is said that the stone roars when touched by the rightful king of Tara.

My recommendation is to spend your time here and walk around to all the different parts.

Quiet your mind and let your imagination go.

I love this magical site!

Tip: Give yourself time to wander about here.

 

Loughcrew Cairns

Another mystical site in Ireland in County Meath, Loughcrew Cairns are a collection of passage tombs dating back to 3000BC.

These passage tombs are scattered over 3 hills and are often referred to as the Hills of the Witch.

The cairns or passage tombs are denoted by letter.

Cairn T is the largest and sees the most visitors.

It has some amazing Neolithic art inside and it actually aligns with the vernal and autumnal equinoxes.

So this mystical site in Ireland was used for burials, the telling of the seasons and it’s thought that there were other ceremonies that took place here.

In fact, there is a stone throne that is known as The Hag’s Chair on the north side of Cairn T.

I think this is actually one of my favorite of Ireland’s ancient, magical sites.

While it doesn’t have the big WOW factor of Newgrange, there is a lot just at Cairn T, which is the only part I experienced.

There is the stone throne, rock art, the main passage tomb along with smaller ones.

And the views from up on the hill are stunning.

Tip: If you want to go into the passage tomb you must get the key from Loughcrew Gardens.

 

Drombeg Stone Circle

This is probably Ireland’s most famous stone circle.

Located in County Cork, Drombeg Stone Circle is close to the village of Glandore.

It’s well marked, so you should be able to find it.

From the parking area it’s just a short walk to this mystical site in Ireland.

Now, if you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know I love stone circles.

Well, I love all of these mysterious sites.

But stone circles are exceptionally intriguing to me.

There’s a lot of WHY when it come to these sites.

Why did the ancient people build these?

Why in this specific location and not on the hill “over there?”

How did they get the stone to that spot?

Okay.

That was a “how.”

But you get the idea.

Stone circles are mysteries.

And Drombeg is no different as no one knows really what it was used for.

What they do know is that it’s a recumbent stone circle due to the one long horizontal stone at the western edge of the circle.

These recumbent circles are common in this region of County Cork and in nearby County Kerry.

The recumbent stone is thought to be the sacrificial altar if you believe the ancient people made sacrifices here.

It’s directly opposite the two tall stones (2m+) that seem to be the ceremonial entrance portal.

And, to add more intrigue, the sunset on winter solstice aligns from the portal to the center of the recumbent stone and almost fits into a noticeable notch in a hillside 1.6km away.

Wait.

There’s more.

2 of the stones seem to indicate there may have been fertility rituals held at Drombeg.

One stone seems to very male and another distinctly female.

Again, it’s all a mystery.

I’m certainly glad I’ve spent some time here.

And I highly recommend it to all of you.

Tip: Visit late in the day or first thing in the morning to avoid crowds as Drombeg is pretty popular.

 

Derreenataggart Stone Circle

This is one of those “stumbled upon” mystical sites in Ireland that makes it that more interesting.

Located on the Beara Peninsula just past the town of Castletownbere, this circle of 12 stones is another recumbent stone circle.

Like Drombeg it also has 2 stones that serve as a portal to walk through.

I was the only one to explore this stone circle on a trip around Beara with my Irish friend and my parents back in 2010.

So it’s one I’d love to revisit so I can spend more time communing with the ancient spirits.

I felt kind of rushed since the others were sitting in the car waiting for me.

I highly recommend traveling to the Beara Peninsula and making a stop at this mystical site in Ireland.

Tip: Do drive over the Healy Pass in the middle of the Beara Peninsula because it’s gorgeous!

 

Kenmare Stone Circle

This stone circle is literally just a few minutes walk from the center of Kenmare, County Kerry — one of my favorite Irish towns.

It’s probably one of the easiest stone circles to visit.

This mystical site in Ireland is also known locally as ‘The Shrubberies.’

Kenmare Stone Circle is different from the above 2 as it actually has a boulder ‘dolmen’ in the center and it’s a bit more oval-shaped than circular.

As with so many of these circles, no one knows exactly what they were used for.

But there seems to be some alignment of the 15 stones with lunar and solar events.

In some ways, The Shrubberies was a tad bit disappointing because it’s enclosed by trees and is more of a manicured garden.

Most of the other stone circles have some fabulous view and are a bit more “ruin-y.”

However, I still think this site is worthy of a stop.

Tip: Kenmare Stone Circle can be a bit difficult to find if you don’t know where to look. Walk down Market Street and you’ll find it!

 

Creevykeel

A really cool site located in County Sligo near Mullaghmore is Creevykeel court tomb.

I passed it twice — because it’s literally sitting by the side of the main road behind some trees and there’s just a small sign.

But I parked in the parking area — which is a good size — and walked up a pathway behind the trees to this fascinating site.

I loved that I could walk around it all, touch the stones and sit under the henge.

Creevykeel dates back to 4000 to 2500BC and they did find 4 cremation burials here.

I love these smaller sites that — while there’s no guide to tell you all about it — leave a lot to the imagination and let you be a part of the ancient history.

Tip: Keep your eyes open for a small sign and fairly large parking area on the east side of the N15.

 

Beltany Stone Circle

I think this is my favorite mystical site in Ireland.

Beltany Stone Circle is another one of those sites you find sitting in the middle of a field.

And it’s free which is a plus.

Located in County Donegal just outside the village of Raphoe, this stone circle dates back to 1400 to 800BC.

It was thought that there were as many as 80 or more stones but now there are about 64.

Beltany sits up on a hill and has fabulous views across the pastoral landscape.

The sheep graze around it which I simply love.

The name Beltany comes from the spring festival of Beltane.

This ceremony is associated with the lighting of fires on the hills as a “rekindling” of the sun.

And it was here at Beltany that archeologists found a carved stone head that probably dates from the pre-Christian Iron Age.

So the thinking is that this site was used for many centuries after it was built.

I spent a bit of time here in 2017 just communing with the ancient spirits and touching every one of those stones.

It’s truly a special place.

Tip: Drive to the village of Raphoe and you’ll see signs for Beltany. It’s a short walk from the small parking area up to the stone circle.

 

Mystical sites in Ireland on my “must see” list

Lough Gur Stone Circle

I stumbled upon this ancient site in Ireland on a Google search a few years back.

And it’s been on my list since.

Located in County Limerick and only about 22km (14miles) from Limerick City this is first and foremost a lake.

But it’s the treasures around the lake that make it so enticing to me.

There’s a castle and a wedge tomb but it’s the stone circle that I really want to visit.

The stone circle here at Lough Gur — known as the Grange Stone Circle — is the largest in Ireland and is in an almost perfect circular shape.

What makes this mystical site in Ireland so unique is that the stones are not free-standing but rather adjoining.

There’s also a smaller stone circle nearby as well as other sites around the lake.

And the time to visit?

Summer solstice seems to be when the the stones line up just right.

But it’s a popular time so you may want to visit at a different time of year.

It’s free to see this ancient site but donations are recommended and appreciated.

However, if you want to take a guided tour that lasts 2 1/2 hours, it will set you back €15.

You can take a shorter tour, upon request.

I am hoping to make a stop at this amazing site on my next trip to Ireland.

Tip: Do be sure to wear waterproof shoes for walking around this site.

 

Carrowmore

Carrowmore is located in County Sligo just south of Sligo Town and is a Heritage Ireland site like Newgrange and Knowth.

This is the largest cemetery of megalithic tombs in Ireland and it’s also among the country’s oldest dating back to about 4600 to 3900BC.

There are 60 known tombs at Carrowmore but only about 30 are visible.

Some of them are circular and some look more like wedge tombs.

Since this is a Heritage Ireland site, Carrowmore does have an exhibition center and it does cost to visit.

But at just €5 for an adult, I imagine it’s well worth it.

This is one of those mystical sites in Ireland that I really want to experience.

Tip: Carrowmore is not open to visitors in winter so if you are traveling out of season, you’re out of luck.

 

Carrowkeel

Carrowkeel is more like Loughcrew Cairns with passage tombs scattered over hills and a lettering system to identify them.

These passage tombs date back to about 3500BC so they aren’t quite as old as Carrowmore.

But they look really amazing.

Located in County Sligo near the village of Castlebaldwin, Carrowkeel is easy to find as it’s well signposted along the main N4.

There is a parking area nearby and you simply walk up the hill to the tombs.

You’ll find 14 neolithic cairns in the ‘town’ of Carrowkeel.

And you’ll find several more on the hills to the west.

Cairn G in especially interesting as it has a roofbox situated above the entrance.

The only other known roofbox is the one at Newgrange .

But unlike Newgrange this roofbox is aligned with the midsummer sunset instead of the winter solstice sunrise.

I really love Loughcrew Cairns so I think Carrowkeel would be very cool to experience.

Plus this mystical site in Ireland is free!

Tip: Do give yourself enough time here and do check out this website for more information so you have a better idea of what you’re looking at when you visit.

 

Skellig Michael

While all the other sites are ancient, pagan sites, Skellig Michael is the outlier as it’s a Christian site.

But I am including it in this list of mystical sites in Ireland because of its remoteness.

I’m fascinated by the fact that these monks wanted to be so isolated.

Was it their pure devotion?

Did they want to shut off the rest of the world for fear of being tempted?

No one knows for sure.

But for about 500 years, this monastic colony existed on Skellig Michael before moving to the mainland.

While you can visit this island, it’s not easy.

Most boats leave from Portmagee and make the 12km (8miles) trip about 4 or 5 out of 7 days.

This is due to the rough seas around the island that make the trip very unsafe a lot of the year.

The other consideration is that the boats typically only go over to Skellig Michael from mid-May to early October — at least those that actually land on the island.

You can take a boat tour around Skellig Michael and Little Skellig without making a landing.

Tip: If you want to visit, do stay out on the Ring of Kerry a couple of nights so you have more than 1 day to get to Skellig Michael.

 

Would you add sites to this list?

I’d love to hear about some other mystical sites in Ireland.

Drop me a note to tell me all about them.

And check out the Heritage Ireland website for more information on most of these mystical sites.