Fourknocks

Fourknocks

Fourknocks, while smaller in size compared to Newgrange, offers a more intimate and personal experience as a passage tomb for visitors.

There is no Visitor Center, and oftentimes, there is nobody else around. This ancient marvel offers a serene environment to be appreciated and enjoyed.

We can explore the chamber at our own pace, immersing ourselves in the mesmerizing megalithic art . One notable engraving within the chamber possibly depicts a human face,  if so it would be Ireland’s oldest anthropomorphic representations.

Constructed approximately 5000 years ago, Fourknocks stands contemporaneous with Newgrange and other passage tombs in the Boyne Valley, situated 16km (10 miles) southeast of Newgrange. The name “Fourknocks” originates from the Irish “Fuair Cnoic,” meaning Cold Hills.

The site features a short passage leading into a spacious pear-shaped chamber with three smaller offset chambers. Originally, a wooden structure likely supported the roof, but in 1952, a concrete roof was added following a two-year excavation. Among the discoveries were fragments from 65 burials, encompassing both cremated and unburnt remains of adults and children. Additionally, decorated pottery, vessels, and personal ornaments such as pendants and beads were unearthed, all of which now reside in the National Museum.

While the entrance lacks a solar alignment, the Fourknocks mound aligns with the Winter Solstice sunrise path toward Newgrange. In the Stone Age, the passage at Fourknocks aligned with the helical rising of the W shaped constellation Cassiopeia, potentially explaining the prevalence of zigzag megalithic art with a W shaped motif at Fourknocks.

Fourknocks & Megalithic Tour

This location features in the following tours

When you book with Boyne Valley Tours you will experience over 5,000 years of Irish Culture and History. Choose from our tours across the Boyne Valley as well as popular Wicklow Tours and Highlights.

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