Corick

Coordinates: 54°44′53″N 6°47′28″W / 54.748°N 6.791°W / 54.748; -6.791

Stone circle.
Stone row.

Corick (from Irish Comhrac, meaning 'confluence'[1]) is a megalithic site and townland in the civil parish of Ballynascreen, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.[2] It includes a stone circle and a stone row. The Corick stone circles and alignments are located 2 km north east of Ballybriest court-tomb, 400 metres south of Corick clachan, near a stream. There are some 5 circles (one with a large standing-stone in the middle) and 3 stone-rows.[3] The stone alignments and circle are Scheduled Historic Monuments in Corick at grid reference: Area of H780 896.[4]

Features

In 1940 the site was described as consisting of 3 stone circles with alignments and a possible grave structure to the northwest. The site is no longer so clear and survives as a complex of at least 4 alignments. Three are very well defined, consisting of stones ranging from 0.3 to 1.6m high. Within one alignment are two very large stones which may be the remains of a tomb. Five alignments are oriented almost exactly north-south and the sixth, a well-preserved line, runs WSW-ENE and contains some of the large stones on the site. To NNW are the remains of a stone circle of which only 6 stones on the west side survive and with a large central stone.[2]

Function

Although it is often believed the stone monuments were intentially aligned to serve a greater purpose, the crudeness of the stones means that they could not have been used as advanced astronomical calculators. Their positioning therefore is more likely symbolic rather than functional.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Toner, Gregory: Place-Names of Northern Ireland, Volume Five, County Derry I, The Moyola Valley, page 16. The Institute of Irish Studies, The Queen's University Belfast, 1996. ISBN 0-85389-613-5
  2. 1 2 "Corick; Ballynascreen; Magherafelt". Peatlands NI. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
  3. ↑ "Corick". Gazetteer of Irish Prehistoric Monuments - County Londonderry. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
  4. ↑ "Corick" (PDF). Environment and Heritage Service - Scheduled Historic Monuments. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-11-05. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
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