Dr. Muiris O’Sullivan

It's difficult, you know, in the case of other types of megalithic tombs in Ireland, they tend to occur where there is sort of farming settlement and amongst fields, in the case of KJ Fields in County Mayo. But the Boyne Valley ones, they're found very often, not just Boyne Valley, but Passage Homes generally. They're often found on locations like the tops of ridges or

It's difficult, you know, in the case of other types of megalithic tombs in Ireland, they tend to occur where there is sort of farming settlement and amongst fields, in the case of KJ Fields in County Mayo. But the Boyne Valley ones, they're found very often, not just Boyne Valley, but Passage Homes generally. They're often found on locations like the tops of ridges or

It's difficult, you know, in the case of other types of megalithic tombs in Ireland, they tend to occur where there is sort of farming settlement and amongst fields, in the case of KJ Fields in County Mayo. But the Boyne Valley ones, they're found very often, not just Boyne Valley, but Passage Homes generally. They're often found on locations like the tops of ridges or

close to the tops of hills or along river valleys or something like that, they seem to have had the ability to choose where they wanted to place these monuments, which again suggests power of some sort.

close to the tops of hills or along river valleys or something like that, they seem to have had the ability to choose where they wanted to place these monuments, which again suggests power of some sort.

close to the tops of hills or along river valleys or something like that, they seem to have had the ability to choose where they wanted to place these monuments, which again suggests power of some sort.

I think you're right. They certainly are making a statement in the landscape. That's the first thing. And in my own imagination, this is a purely personal view, trying to come to terms with why these things happen, so to speak.

I think you're right. They certainly are making a statement in the landscape. That's the first thing. And in my own imagination, this is a purely personal view, trying to come to terms with why these things happen, so to speak.

I think you're right. They certainly are making a statement in the landscape. That's the first thing. And in my own imagination, this is a purely personal view, trying to come to terms with why these things happen, so to speak.

One of the interesting things about the passage zooms is some of them occur high up on tops of hills, Baltinglass Hill in County Wicklow, for example, or Knocknery in County Sligo.

One of the interesting things about the passage zooms is some of them occur high up on tops of hills, Baltinglass Hill in County Wicklow, for example, or Knocknery in County Sligo.

One of the interesting things about the passage zooms is some of them occur high up on tops of hills, Baltinglass Hill in County Wicklow, for example, or Knocknery in County Sligo.

And where these tombs have been excavated, there is evidence of pre-tomb activity at the sites, which suggests that it's not the tomb made the place sacred, that the tomb is just a particular expression of the sacredness of the site. So the way I like to see it, for what it's worth, is that I imagine this world of farming spreading and more trees being cut down and countryside being opened up.

And where these tombs have been excavated, there is evidence of pre-tomb activity at the sites, which suggests that it's not the tomb made the place sacred, that the tomb is just a particular expression of the sacredness of the site. So the way I like to see it, for what it's worth, is that I imagine this world of farming spreading and more trees being cut down and countryside being opened up.

And where these tombs have been excavated, there is evidence of pre-tomb activity at the sites, which suggests that it's not the tomb made the place sacred, that the tomb is just a particular expression of the sacredness of the site. So the way I like to see it, for what it's worth, is that I imagine this world of farming spreading and more trees being cut down and countryside being opened up.

And these traditional sacred places, the nature of them and the sort of landscape context of them, if we had to put it that way, being changed by farming and sacred places almost coming under threat. And I often wonder, was the building of a megalithic tomb on these places almost a way of stabilizing the places and saying, this is a sacred place, you know?

And these traditional sacred places, the nature of them and the sort of landscape context of them, if we had to put it that way, being changed by farming and sacred places almost coming under threat. And I often wonder, was the building of a megalithic tomb on these places almost a way of stabilizing the places and saying, this is a sacred place, you know?

And these traditional sacred places, the nature of them and the sort of landscape context of them, if we had to put it that way, being changed by farming and sacred places almost coming under threat. And I often wonder, was the building of a megalithic tomb on these places almost a way of stabilizing the places and saying, this is a sacred place, you know?

Now, that's just a personal sort of way of expressing it. And they may not even have thought that way. But you wonder if it was one of those impetuses that may have been going on. And this is why these monuments, they're often designed, especially passage tombs, to be seen from far away. And they interlink across the country from mountaintop to mountaintop in some cases.

Now, that's just a personal sort of way of expressing it. And they may not even have thought that way. But you wonder if it was one of those impetuses that may have been going on. And this is why these monuments, they're often designed, especially passage tombs, to be seen from far away. And they interlink across the country from mountaintop to mountaintop in some cases.