Knockroe
Nikon d7000, 35mm f1.8g lens
Knockroe passage tomb, county kilkenny
irish landscape photography
Knockrow passage tomb is located about 15km from Callan. county kilkenny and I have visited this tomb many time, The images in this post are from Monday this week, it was a warm and sunny October afternoon and a perfect day for walking around the area the tomb is located in.
Knockroe passage tomb, County Kilkenny was excavated in 1990. It has some 30 decorated stones and could be connected to Newgrange in the Boyne Valley, the front of the cairn flanking the eastern tomb was decorated with a frieze of quartz. Also, like Newgrange, the roof-box in the western tomb allows the rays of the sun to pass along the upward-sloping passage at the Winter Solstice (21st December), when it illuminates a tall red-sandstone portal.
Unlike Newgrange however these rays pass through the roofbox at sunset rather than sunrise. The other aspect of Knockroe that makes it worth investigating is that until its discovery, the prior most southern site of its kind was at Baltinglass Hill in County Wicklow. And the fact that there are two tombs on the one site also marks it out as uncommon.
Two of the images below show a track that at some point in the past was cut through the centre of the tomb, for a farm on the hill just above, thankfully it looks like any damage was not to the most important parts of the site. but no one knows for sure what was removed.
Knockroe passage tomb : Gallery
Nigel Borrington 
Ireland is so green and full of history! Keep looking forward to your next postings Nigel!
October 17, 2013 at 9:51 am
Reblogged this on My Choice and commented:
I always keep looking forward to Nigel’s next posting. do you? 😉
October 17, 2013 at 9:52 am
Hello 🙂 🙂
Thank you for both your great and very welcome comments 🙂 🙂
October 17, 2013 at 11:21 am
😉
October 17, 2013 at 11:37 am
Thank you so much for your informative post and the images are great – have never been to Ireland but maybe this will change my mind
October 17, 2013 at 10:04 am
Hello Diana 🙂
Thank you for such a wonderful comment, you would be given a big welcome here and enjoy it very much !!!
Thank you for you visit and comment 🙂
October 17, 2013 at 11:23 am
Gorgeous gallery and a beautiful tribute to this quiet gem.
October 17, 2013 at 12:27 pm
Nice tour, thanks!
We have an area where marked stones can be found not too far from where I live – your post is an apt reminder to me that they are still out there waiting for me to get my act together! 😉
October 17, 2013 at 1:04 pm
So much wonderful history…!
October 17, 2013 at 3:32 pm
Hello Navery 🙂
Yes, it’s a magical spot to visit 🙂
October 17, 2013 at 11:59 pm
I love how the grass is a lovely crisp green right up to the rocks and then stops! What a lovely sunny day! My eyes needed a lovely place to rest today!
October 17, 2013 at 3:32 pm
Hello Michelle 🙂
Very pleased you found a resting place 🙂
October 17, 2013 at 11:58 pm
I did. 🙂 you are very talented
October 18, 2013 at 2:07 am
Just wonderful images Nigel. 🙂 🙂 I love how it’s designed to direct the solstice rays to illuminate another structure.
October 17, 2013 at 4:15 pm
Hello Sharon 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Yes Magical place, I would love to meet the people who built it 🙂
October 17, 2013 at 11:57 pm
lovely!!
October 17, 2013 at 4:16 pm
Hello Annie 🙂
Thank you, very happy you like this post 🙂 🙂
October 17, 2013 at 11:55 pm
Maravillosas imágenes, Nigel.
Me han encantado,
Un abrazo,
Jesús.
October 17, 2013 at 9:21 pm
Very interesting post, Nigel.
November 16, 2013 at 1:01 pm
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