Downed Trees Reveal Ancient Irish Monument

ACHILL ISLAND, IRELAND—When a severe storm recently struck Achill Island in Ireland’s County Mayo, the intense winds caused extensive damage, tearing off roofs and knocking down power lines. RTÉ News reports that flattened trees in one area in Cloughmore Townland unexpectedly revealed an ancient monument that had long been shrouded behind the vegetation. The site consists of two upright standing stones measuring nearly eight feet in height, and a third, now fallen one lying nearby. The landscape around Achill Island is littered with numerous prehistoric and historic sites, but the recently discovered stones may be a rare example of a 3,000-year-old Bronze Age ritual monument. According to archaeologist Michael Gibbons, the stones may mark an important burial site and may also have had astronomical significance, as they seem to have a north-south alignment. The site may have even given the townland of Cloughmore its name—An Cloch Mór in the Irish language—which translates to “Big Stone.” To read about archaeology on another Irish isle, go to "Off the Grid: Inishark Island, County Galway, Ireland."