145c. Cavan Burren Park walks and prehistoric sites, Co. Cavan, Ireland

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Cavan Burren Park is a remarkable archaeological and geological landscape in County Cavan, Ireland, offering over 5,000 years of history, immersive walking trails, and excellent visitor facilities.

Archaeology: A Prehistoric Treasure Trove

Cavan Burren Park is part of the Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark and is renowned for its dense concentration of prehistoric monuments, many of which are located within metres of each other:

• Megalithic tombs: Including wedge tombs, portal tombs (like the Calf House Dolmen), and court tombs, dating back to the Neolithic period.

• Ancient field systems: Pre-bog walls and hut sites reveal early agricultural practices and settlement patterns.

• Glacial erratics and karst features: These geological formations add to the park’s archaeological intrigue, showing how humans adapted to the limestone landscape.

• Promontory fort: A later prehistoric defensive structure offering insight into Iron Age activity.

Interpretative signage and the on-site centre provide context for these features, helping visitors understand the ritual, domestic, and landscape significance of the monuments.

Facilities: Visitor-Friendly and Educational

Cavan Burren Park is well-equipped for both casual visitors and serious walkers:

• Interpretative Centre: Offers detailed information on the park’s archaeology, geology, and cultural history.

• Parking: Ample space for both cars and coaches.

• Toilets and picnic areas: Conveniently located near the entrance.

• Accessibility: Several trails are wheelchair-friendly, including the Calf House Dolmen Trail.

Walking Trails: Immersive and Varied

There are over 10km of trails, ranging from short strolls to longer hikes, each offering unique archaeological and scenic experiences:

Each trail is well-marked and includes interpretative panels, making it ideal for educational visits and self-guided exploration.

Landscape and Experience

The park offers 360° views of the surrounding Cuilcagh Mountains and West Cavan. The combination of archaeology, geology, biodiversity, and peaceful forested paths makes it a unique destination for both reflection and discovery.

The car parking and visitor information and interpretation centre for the Cavan Burren Park.

Cavan Burren Park opened May 2014 but the landscape you see has its origin about 340 million years ago in the Carboniferous period when this area of Cavan was covered in a shallow tropical sea.

There is ample car parking and the interpretative centre offers much information and guidance of five walking trails around Cavan Burren Park, Co. Cavan, Ireland, to look out for spectacular prehistoric tombs, wonderful geology and special stories about this unique environment

The picnic area and the start of the sign guided walks.

On our walk I photographed some of the prehistoric Neolithic archaeological sites.

Cavan Burren Park is located in the Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark an area recognised by UNESCO (the United National Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation) as having an exceptional geological heritage, particular scientific value and important for illustrating the culture, archaeology, wildlife and history of Cavan, and also benefits the local economy in this area of County Cavan, Ireland.

The Cavan Burren Park is a beautiful landscape plus impressive geological and prehistoric archaeological features which play a huge part in the character of the Cavan Burren Park.

Cavan Burren Park lies on a limestone plateau at a height of about 295 metres under the shadow of the Cuilcagh Mountain. Geologically Cavan Burren Park is located on this limestone bedrock and formed in a shallow tropical sea around 340million years ago during a time known as the Carboniferous period. Natural geological features include a relict river bed, associated dolines and sinkholes across the Lost Valley, where a river sank and disappeared underground and these features can be seen along walks two and trail three close to the Giant’s Leap.

Cavan Burren Park is viewed as one of the finest prehistoric landscapes in Ireland and although surrounded by planted forestry since the 1950s much is now accessible for the public to enjoy. After the last ice around 13,000 years ago, huge boulders of sandstone were deposited and left by glaciers on the limestone bedrock of Cavan Burren and these boulders are known as ‘Glacial Erratics’

The next crucial influence on the landscape of the land of Cavan Burren Park was the arrival of the first human settlers to the area about 4500 BCE, that is the very beginning of the Neolithic period when the first farmers arrived at Burren. Neolithic people cleared the forests and constructed settlements where they lived, worshiped and died. Remains of these Neolithic and later settlements (e.g. the Iron and Bronze Ages) are evident from the neolithic archaeological monuments like the Giant’s Grave wedge tomb and remnants of old field walls.

The Tullygobban Tomb, a wedge tomb built at the end of the Neolithic Period and dated to ~2500 BCE.

(information above, image below)

The Tullygobban Tomb

One of the boarded sections of the Cavan Burren Park paths.

The Calf House Portal Tomb dated from the early Neolithic Period ~ 3500-4000 BCE, Cavan Burren Park.

Calf House Dolmen tomb

Calf House Dolmen tomb

The Giant's Grave is a wedge tomb dating from later Neolithic Period about 2500 BCE

It has two burial chambers mostly built of sandstone, but one limestone block at each chamber entrance.

One tomb faces south-west into the setting sun of the mid-winter solstice, but the front entrance faces north-west into the mid-summer sunset solstice, and the back chamber entrance faces south-east into the sunrise of the mid-winter solstice.

Most of the tomb may have been covered under an earthen mound because the remains of a ring of kerb stones can be detected.

The double chambered Giant's Grave Neolithic wedge tomb

The double chambered Giant's Grave wedge tomb

The double chambered Giant's Grave wedge tomb

The cup and ring carvings on one of the stones of the double chambered Giant's Grave Neolithic wedge tomb

The ancient river bed of the Giant's Leap

The sculptured boulder PB47, one of the unique boulders in the Cavan Burren Park.

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