Ballymacdermot Cairn

One of Newry's hidden gems, this is to the south of the city close (approx. 1km) to the Bernish Viewpoint overlooking the city. Very well reserved and situated in beautiful rolling countryside. Ideal for a picnic on a sunny day.

The Ballymacdermot cairn is a well preserved Neolitic burial site. It is located on the southern slopes of Ballymacdermot Mountain near Newry, next to Bernish Road. The tomb consists of 3 chambers. It can be dated between 4000 and 2500 BC.

A local historian told us that during the Second World War, some stones were knocked down and
broken by the American Army on tank manoeuvres. From the site you have a beautiful panoramic view over the plain of Meigh. Near the side is no car parking, but since this site is not visited by many tourist, you most likely can park your car along the road near the tombe. The site worth paying a short visit when you are in the area.

Situated in a dip between two hills just south of Newry off the bypass this is a reasonably preserved ancient tomb. The signage, description and diagrams at the enterance is quite informative. It makes you pause and think what sort of civilisation lived nearby to create this. The court area is clearly laid out with standing stones and you can enter the burial hallway although the roofing and covering mound is long gone you can clearly see the supporting walls. A though provoking place

This neolitiic court grave is close to Bernish viewpoint and set in the Ring of Gullion not far from another such grave at Clontygora. Both striking but the views around Ballymacdermot are spectacular.

I was very lucky to view this cairn both in the day time and night time (super full moon)!
It is located up high on a remote road (heading from Newry to Slieve Gullion). It is definitely worth a view and is a fascinating 'recent' find of an ancient site that is older than the pyramids. Some people claim that it was used as a tomb, while others claim that it was used for ceremonial purposes. Just remember, even though it is a tiny and humble site, it is an ancient sacred site and deserves to be treated with respect. Enjoy the beauty within it and surrounding it!

Wee bit hard to find as signage is inadequate. But once found a short drive upwards from Bernish Viewpoint which is also a spectacular viewing spot with a car park.
The Cairn has a limited parking area.
It's well preserved and makes one think of how our ancestors lived. And how they moved the large stones in place.
It is a spiritual place. Well worth a visit.

This 6,000 year old monument lies on the southern slopes of Ballymacdrmot Mountain close to Newry. It’s an extremely well preserved New Stone-Age burial site with three chambers.
Situated within the Ring of Gullion Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this site offers excellent views of Slieve Gullion and the smaller hills of the ring dyke as well as the Mourne and Cooley mountain ranges. It’s known locally as ‘The Cashla’ … also ‘The Fairy Ring’ and is said to be haunted!

I don't know much about the history of the ancient ruins here but on a good day the views are stunning a drive around this area you will find ancient churches and graves, a forest park and camlough lake a really beautiful part of Ireland.

We saw a sign for the Ballymacdermot Cairn, and having some time on our journey north to the Antrim coast, we decided to follow it and see where it led us, as we had learned during our short time in country that the brown signs usually lead to interesting things. The road took us down a country lane barely wide enough for our car, up a hillside with an extremely tight turn which led us across a hillside where we nearly drove past the small sign and grass-covered stone slabs marking the cairn.

While the remains of the cairn aren't much to look at, learning about why they were positioned as they were, and what was found inside them really kept our interest. We left fascinated with the history behind this seemingly innocuous collection of green rocks, and in awe at just how many of these filled the countryside around us.

On a drive to Bernish view of which the views are amazing, it advises you that the Cairn is just near by. We arrived the same time as a bus tour so we listened in on all the history which was great. The weather was fab and the views alone where outstanding. We need to venture on our doorstep to see the hidden gems. Our children thought it was super spooky and had 100s of questions.