Point of interest
Grange Stone Circle Lough Gur
5 locals recommend
Location
Lough Gur, LK
Grange
Tips from locals
Grange Stone Circle is one of the finest and it sits in the beautiful landscape of Lough Gur, an ancient sacred lake in Limerick, which is surrounded by prehistoric ruins, ring forts, megalithic monuments, romantic castles, and ritual enclosures. The area is steeped in mythology and spirituality, the Grange circle itself named after the sun goddess Grainne. The Grange Stone Circle was built at least 4,000 years ago but may go back as far as 6,000 years. It is a complete ring made from 113 stones that stand upright in close proximity to one another. The largest stone is Rannach Chruim Duibh (Crom Dubh’s Division) which stands over 4 meters (13 feet) high and weighs 40 tonnes (2200 lbs)! The circle is sunken into the surrounding landscape by about 1.2 meters (4 feet) and it is 45m (150 ft) in diameter. The formation is a perfect circle, this combined with the central posthole suggests that the perimeter was measured out using a central pole and rope to mark the ground. Along this perimeter, there are 12 “orthostats” (large and slab-like stones that are usually situated upright) that have been placed at regular intervals. The perfect geometry and the orientation suggests that the site was used for ritual purposes. In fact, it is used in a similar way even today. Every Midsummer’s Eve people gather for festivities which end at dawn as everyone watches the rising sun shine through the entrance passageway.
Grange Stone Circle is one of the finest and it sits in the beautiful landscape of Lough Gur, an ancient sacred lake in Limerick, which is surrounded by prehistoric ruins, ring forts, megalithic monuments, romantic castles, and ritual enclosures. The area is steeped in mythology and spirituality, th…