Saturday, 8 August 2026

Clonalvy, County Meath

The size of the present tiny hamlet of Clonalvy in County Meath belies the industrious nature of the area and its place as a former hive of activity.

Clonalvy or Cluain Ailbhe in Irish possibly means the Meadow of Alvoy.

logainm.ie - Database of Irish Placenames.

There is a small ruined Church along the roadside as you pass through although not much of the Church remains standing.

A Church is recorded at this site as early as 1302 however the present ruin is a much later Church structure. See historical environment viewer record:

- ME033-026---- : Church.

The beautiful Cruciform Passage Tomb of Four Knocks lies just roughly a kilometre away from here and is well worth visiting to see its beautiful neolithic carvings and huge central chamber.

There is a rather large Lime Kiln in an adjacent field which is in a remarkably good state of preservation.

A fire was lit in these Kilns and large limestone rocks

were burned in them in order to produce lime itself.

Flagstones were also produced at Clonalvey and weaving was a staple in the area with, I believe, forty looms in operation at one time.

Meath History Hub - Clonalvey

Books of Survey and Distribution - East Meath

Behind the Limekiln is a beautiful little escarpment so perhaps some Limestone was quarried from here for the adjacent Lime Kiln.

Just a guess on my part.

Keep the wheels turning.

https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-QRO-1-1-3-17-3-5

Baltray Stone Alignment, Louth

Baltray Stone Alignment
County Louth

On the north side of the Boyne estuary in County Louth is the Baltray Stone Alignment.

When I first enquired about the site I was led to believe it was of two standing stones, however after approaching it I thought it was probably a Stone alignment, a different kettle of fish altogether, if you will forgive my pedanticism.

For some reason it just struck me as such.

I have since read that there was at least one more stone here which has long since since fallen and been subsumed by mother Earth. This I think makes more sense.

There are various claims to the stones being aligned with the hill on which Four Knocks Passage Tomb stands or Rockabill Island off the Skerries coast.

I can neither confirm nor deny these claims however I always believed that Stone alignments were arranged in some pattern with a celestial purpose in mind although just why I've adopted this particular assumption I cannot recall.

Anyway, this pair of upright lithics are well worth visiting if for the sea views alone.

A quite panoramic setting indeed.

Discover Boyne - Baltray Standing Stones

Mythical Ireland - Baltray Standing Stones

Keep the wheels turning.

Townleyhall Passage Tomb, Louth

Townleyhall Passage Tomb
County Louth

Located in south County Louth and close to the border with Meath lies Townleyhall Passage Tomb.

It is an "undifferentiated" Passage Tomb.

Undifferentiated in this context just means that the tomb(s) inside lie at the rear of the passage and directly in line with it, not off to one side, nor "cruciform" (Cross shaped) like a lot of passage tombs.

It is a neolithic (Stone age) field monument of which there are many located in Ireland.

In all likelihood Townleyhall Passage Tomb was part of the larger Boyne burial and ritual site which includes Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth and various other unexcavated tombs in the area.

Unfortunately the passage tomb at Townleyhall is completely denuded of its original covering Cairn of stones while most of the passage lithics and orthostats are also absent.

Some of the kerbstones remain surrounding the small mound and although not large of presence the tomb is nonetheless important as an archaeological record on the landscape.