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Drumskinny, Co. Fermanagh
Location: On the east side of Lower Lough Erne, this stone complex has very easy access.
From Kesh, take the B 4 east to B 72 north. Continue north on the B 72 about 5 to 6 kilometers and watch
for the signpost to the left. The site is well marked with adequate off road parking.
A packed dirt track leads down to the wood-fenced site.
Dimensions:There are 39 stones in the 13 meter circle, seven of which bear the monogram "MOF". These,
and a few in the adjacent stone alignment, replaced missing stones after excavation and restoration by the Ministry of
Finance. The tallest of the stones in the circle is just over 1.8 meters. The small round cairn to the
NW does not quite touch the stone circle and is between 3.75 and 4 meters in diameter. Abutting the cairn at its
center and running to the west is an approximate 15 meter alignment of 23 short stones.
Features: This site has been reconstructed since excavation and is well maintained with the small cairn securely
inside its kerbstones, and gravel throughout the site to keep the vegetation at bay. A kissing gate keeps
larger animals from using the standing stones as scratching posts. This may seem a bit
"commercial" to the purist, but for the casual tourist, the ease of moving around this compact site may spark further
interest in such ancient treasures.
Comments: Counties Fermanagh and Tyrone seem to be the seat of stone circles accompanied by stone alignments.
One of the tallest stone bears some interesting encrustations on the side facing outside
the circle. One of the larger stones in the circle, parallel to the stone row, that leans to the right seems to stare
grumpily back at visitors. The long stone alignment abuts the little cairn like the stick of a lollipop.
History: During the course of excavating the stone circle in 1962, the cairn and stone
row were uncovered from the bogland. The cairn yielded the expected artifacts of flint, scrapers and pottery
sherds, but was oddly lacking the usual human remains in any form.
Other Items of Interest: Less than 2 kilometers away, across the street from Drumskinny church in a field
overgrown with vegetation, is a stone row called Montiaghroe.
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