Damage caused to 5,000 year old county Kilkenny burial site of global importance
A unique and ancient monument nestled atop a hill in county Kilkenny appears to have been damaged in recent times, with new cracks visible and chunks of the burial stones broken off.
The megalithic burial site at Knockroe, located between Windgap and Ahenny in the Lingaun Valley, dates back more than 5,000 years. It is unique in the manner in which the passages aligns with both the rising and the setting sun on the Winter Solstice.
Recently it appears that the tomb has been damaged with chunks fallen off some of the burial stones and other marks appearing in the centre of other stones.
The Lingaun Valley Tourism group took to social media to highlight the damage that has been caused to the site.
The group said they were not sure if the damage was caused by weathering or by human interaction, but they are urging people who visit the site to take extra care when walking through the burial stones.
“It is possible that some of the damage may be weather related,” a spokesperson for the group said. “Whatever the cause, it does demonstrate how fragile the stones are.
“This is an internationally important historic and spiritual site and care should be taken when visiting. Please take care and do not walk on or climb on the stones, many of which have carvings which may not even be visible, depending on light conditions when you visit,” the spokesperson added.
