Poulnabrone Dolmen
Poulnabrone dolmen is synonymous with The Burren.
It is 5,500 years old which makes it older than the pyramids.
Among the limestone hills of the Burren are many ancient sites and monuments, and none is more spectacular than Poulnamebrone dolmen.
The best time of the day to see Poulnabrone is in the early morning before the tourists arrive, or in the evening after they leave.
It is beautiful to see it in moonlight.
As part of our guided outings, we go to many very special places in the Burren and visit some of the dolmens, wedge tombs, stone forts and other ancient sites.
The archaeologists classify Poulnabrone as a portal tomb.
However, I believe that they are mistaken in this, and that Poulnabrone was used more for ceremonial purposes rather than simply as a burial site. The reasons are that the bones found at Poulnabrone only date back to 3,500 years whereas the stone was placed there approx 5,500 years. And also there are wedge tombs dating to a similar time which look quite different and are much lower to the ground rather than elevated to the heavens.
It is much more likely that this great dolmen was used for centuries for many sacred rituals and ceremonies and that many generations later, that some respected people were buried at this sacred site.
One can easily imagine many hundreds and possibly thousands of people gathered here over 5,000 years ago partaking in some sacred ceremony involving the sun or moon or both.
The sheer size of these huge stones is mind boggling.
How these rocks were moved and transported to this place and put into position is difficult to imagine.
One plausibile theory about how it was finally put into place, is that the side supporting stones were erected first. And then a heap of earth was put in place surrounding this side stones.
And then the huge cap-stone was pushed and dragged up on top of the mound of earth. And finally the earth was dug away leaving the cap-stone perched on top of the supporting side stones.
The Burren Yoga Retreat Holidays are certainly one place you should bring a camera.
This ancient land full of sacred sites is an inspiration for a modern day people many of whom live their lives in concrete jungles, within stress filled clock driven days, surrounded by noise of traffic instead of tuning in to the sounds of Nature and the natural pace of the seasons.
Spending time in Nature is like ‘food for the soul’.
Reviewed 22nd April 2017
