Carrowkeel is a Neolithic passage tomb cemetery, its name: An Cheathrú Chaol
means 'the Narrow Quarter'. Radiocarbon dating places the tombs at 5400 and 5100 years
old (3400 to 3100 BC), so that they predate the Pyramids on Egypt's Giza plateau by 500-800
years. An Cheathrú Chaol is one of the ‘big four’ passage tomb cemeteries in Ireland, set on
high ground above Lough Arrow, the tombs seem to be oriented towards the area of Cuil Irra,
Knocknarea and Carrowmore. There are fourteen passage tombs in Carrowkeel, some of
which can be entered by crawling through a narrow passage. Six more passage tombs are
located close by in the Keshcorran complex.
Close to Lough Arrow and just north of Carrowkeel is another, apparently related, giant
passage tomb, Heapstown Cairn. This is part of the legendary Maighe Tuireadh site of battles
between the Tuatha Dé Danann, the ancient gods of Ireland, and the Fomorians, demonic,
semi-divine giants and Fir Bolg:
The Fir Bolg were soon to be dispossessed by new invaders, the Tuatha Dé Danann, ‘Peoples
of the Goddess Dana’, who landed on the Feast of Beltine, and defeated the Fir Bolg in the
First Battle of Mag Tured….Having conquered the Fir Bolg the Tuatha Dé Danann soon came
into conflict with the Fomorians, to whom they were opposed in the Second Battle of Mag Tured.
This battle, which is the subject of a long epic tale, is one of the dominant episodes of Irish
mythology.” (Sjoestedt, 1949, 6 – 8).
View up to the cairns and tombs of Carrowkeel (Author)