Drombeg Stone Circle

Situated just 10 miles west of Clonakilty, Drombeg is probably Ireland's most famous stone circle, it is an axial stone circle with the recumbent or axial stone lying to the southwest. The circle consists of seventeen pillar stones that are graded from the two large portal stones, each 2 metres high, at the northeast towards the axial stone. The pillar stones are local sandstone and the axial has two cup marks, and what looks like an axe-carving, on its upper surface. Axial stones are found at thirty of the stone circles in the Cork and Kerry area. At the winter solstice, the sun sets at a point on the horizon aligned with the axial stone and the portal stones. Towards the centre of the image above are two stones, male left, phallic-shaped and the female right, lozenge-shaped. The best time to visit Drombeg is probably early morning as there is an almost continuous flow of visitors to this site. During excavations by Fahy in 1957, a gravel floor was discovered inside the circle. A central pit under the floor contained an inverted pot covering the cremated remains of a youth. Fulacht Fiadh and Huts Also present at the site is a Fulacht Fiadh a communal cooking pit with a hearth. Hot stones were taken from the fire and dropped into the water trough, recent tests have shown they could boil seventy gallons of water in about fifteen minutes. Pictured below are two circular stone huts conjoined by a doorway. The cooking area is just to the right of these huts. A stone path runs from the huts to the fulacht fiadh. Situated: From Clonakilty take the N71 west to Ross Carberry, just after the causeway take a left turn onto the R597, then after about 4 kilometres take a left turn, signposted for Drombeg circle, there is a car park on your right about 400 metres down this road.