From one of the info boards. I count 26 decorated stones in total.
Image credit: ryaner
Images
Kerb on the south side with the south-eastern chamber and passage behind.
Image credit: ryaner
Almost like an afterthought doodle, this carving is still sharp.
Image credit: ryaner
The most thoroughly decorated of all the stones at Knockroe.
Image credit: ryaner
Pano looking roughly south-east. The excavations are finished and the remains have been allowed to settle.
Image credit: ryaner
Looking west over both passages and chambers. Slievenamon is behind the trees on the right.
Image credit: ryaner
Concentric circle carving on a northern orthostat of the western passage.
Image credit: ryaner
Protected from the harshest weathering, below an overhanging lip and at the bottom of one of the orthostats of the western passage, the pick-marks are clear on this concentric ‘circle’ carving.
Image credit: ryaner
Image credit: Charles Coughlan
Image credit: Charles Coughlan
Rock art on one of the kerbstones
Image credit: Charles Coughlan
Rock art on one of the kerbstones
Image credit: Charles Coughlan
Image credit: Charles Coughlan
Image credit: Charles Coughlan
Image credit: Charles Coughlan
Image credit: Charles Coughlan
Image credit: Charles Coughlan
Image credit: Charles Coughlan
Image credit: Charles Coughlan
Image credit: Charles Coughlan
Kerbstone Art and Moon
30th Nov. 2009
Image credit: Ken Williams/ShadowsandStone.com 2009
Shining on the back stone
Image credit: Bawn79 © 2009
Shining on the side stone.
Image credit: Bawn79 © 2009
Image credit: Bawn79 © 2009
The sun shining on the back stone of the chamber.
One of the stones of the chamber has collasped inwards and this affects the way the sun shines on the back-stone. There used be a block of timber holding this stone in position but has been removed in the last two years by vandals.
Image credit: Bawn79 © 2009
The scene on the 20th literally seconds before a bank of cloud came in. You can see the sun shining into the rear of the chamber.
Image credit: Bawn79 © 2009
The sun set on Dec 20th, moments before the clouds came in.
Image credit: Bawn79 © 2009
The more complex chamber facing south east.
Image credit: Ken Williams/ShadowsandStone.com 2008
Kerbstone with what i think is a fossil in it, this fossil does look a little like the “tree of life” though
Image credit: Bawn79 © 2008
Spiral on one of the kerb-stones marked with red arrow
Image credit: Bawn79 © 2008
Sunset on the 20th December
Image credit: Bawn79 © 2008
Sunrise on the 20th of Dec
Image credit: Bawn79 © 2008
Looking out from the rear of the chamber with the entrance portals at the rear left
Image credit: Ken Williams/ShadowsandStone.com 2007
This red/purple sandstone? to me seemed very different to the rest of the stone used here, I know that there is a standing incorporated into the centre of one of the Cairns in Loughcew could this be something similar?
Image credit: Bawn79
An example of some of the quartz around the site which would may have a similar function to Newgrange (If that function is really understood).
Image credit: Bawn79
Cup marks and squiggles on a right side passage orthostat
Image credit: Ken Williams/ShadowsandStone.com 2007
Near the top of one of the left side passage orthostats is this circle of cupmarks with a central cup, two very eroded spirals or circles above.
Image credit: Ken Williams/ShadowsandStone.com 2007
The chamber of the large passage
Image credit: Ken Williams/ShadowsandStone.com 2007
This stone is to the left of the backstone of the large chamber and is profusely carved with comb-like motifs, reminded me very much of what I’ve seen of Gavrinis style carvings, a sort of free-form collection of curvilinear shapes. Very weathered but exquisite when brought out by light.
Image credit: Ken Williams/ShadowsandStone.com 2007
The carving inside Knockoe’s larger chamber is utterly fantastic! This is a small taster of a concentric circle almost hidden on the side of an orthostat.
Image credit: Ken Williams/ShadowsandStone.com 2007
Looking down the western passage which is aligned with the summer solstice sunset
Image credit: ryaner
West (right) and east passages.
Image credit: ryaner
The exposed east (left) and west passages, with some kerbing in the foreground.
Image credit: ryaner
A not-too-clear picture of one of the kerbstones with art on it (Stone 22).
Articles
2008
I only had time to drop down to Knockroe once this year, for sunset on the 20th and I was almost rewarded for the journey. On an otherwise pretty cloudy day an area of cloudless sky was holding out where the sun was beginning to set.
I couldnt believe my luck as the rays of the sun began to fill the back of the chamber at Knockroe.
Unfortunately just as it was making its way into what would be perfect alignment (above the trees to the right of the farm buildings on the horizon according to the people assembled) a cloud came in to block it off.
What I did see certainly was worth the effort as it was a fabulous sight seeing the sun against the back stone lighing up some of the rock-art.
Hopefully for next year the chamber stone that is beginning to fall inwards will have been fixed as this seems to effect where the sun shines on the backstone causing a shadowing effect. I most certainly come back to see this again next year.
2007
I dropped down to Knockroe for the winter solstice for 2 days running. However there was no sign of the sun for sunrise or sunset. On the 20th it was very quiet with very few around. I think there was maybe 2 in the morning and 3 or 4 in the evening. On the 21st it was much busier, maybe 10 in the morning and about 30 in the evening.
First 3 times it was nice but i think for the last sunset even if the sun had shone right you probably wouldnt have got much of an effect with so many people around.
The place still is in bad condition, some of the people down there reckon the sunset alignment isnt working as well because someone took away a support that kept the width of some of the stones set. So this is very disappointing.
One guy that had been down said that out of 7 years being there he had only seen the sunrise alignment twice. So that is the odds you have really. I think this year it worked pretty good at sunset on the 19th. I was on the way over to it but decided to go shopping in Clonmel instead!
As I said as well they now think that nearby Bawnfree Hill is aligned to the winter solstice sunset too. Im not too sure myself though.
20/7/07
What at first seems like a chaotic, rubble-strewn disaster, soon reveals itself to be an intriguing jigsaw puzzle of the remains of a passage grave mound. At the end of a farm track and fenced in by barbed wire, access is easy over the farm gate here. I met the former owner of the site (before it was taken over by the board of works) who told me that I had just missed Muiris O’Súillebháin, head of the school of Archaeology at UCD, who is still excavating the mound. In fact the farmer at first thought I was part of O’Súillebháin’s entourage – how flattering, but I suppose it goes to show how little visited this place is.
I don’t know too much about this place except what I’ve read on Megalithomania ( megalithomania.com/show/site/149 ), but I can say that’s its passage grave art is a thrill to behold. Spirals, concentric circles and cup marks are found in abundance in the western passage. One of the southern kerbstones is clearly carved with what Eogan calls serpentiform and Brennan calls wavy lines. The kerbstones are all fairly large and most have collapsed, some back into the mound.
The quartz strewn forecourts are a bit of a puzzle as there is one on the southern side that doesn’t denote the entrance to a passage but could have been a ceremonial area in itself. I’ve tried to find a plan of the site but have failed so far.
Knockroe – Cnoc Rua – Red (sandstone?) Hill
There is a well-looked-after old slate quarry south-east of here at Inchanaglogh (S416308). The cliffs over the Lingaun river, with vegetation clinging precariously, are amazing. There are various modern ‘megalithic’ sculptures around the site. Well worth a visit if you have the time before or after the passage grave.
Sites within 20km of Knockroe
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Knockroe (Kells By., Killamery ED)
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Kiltrassy
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Meallaghmore
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Bawnfree Hill
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Castletown (Iverk By.)/
Kilkieran photo 3 -
Ballinvir
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Templemichael
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Owning
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Whitechurch
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Garryduff
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Ballyhenebery
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Kilmogue Standing Stone
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Kilmogue
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Sheegouna
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Newmarket
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Ballypatrick
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Mallardstown
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Slievenamon
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Sheskin
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Ballyquin
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Ballyquin
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Ballyquin
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Kilree
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Parkbeg
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Cloran Old
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Mothel Stone
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Temple-etney
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Jamestown
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Ballylowra
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Drangan
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Curraghkeily
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Gurteen Lower
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Bawnard
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Ballyvaheen Tomb
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Ballyvaheen
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Whitestown
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Cloghadda
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Graigavalla
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Glenaphuca
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Coolnahorna
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The Three Friars
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