Bouwstuk · Co. Clare
Poulnabrone dolmen is a 3800–3200 BC portal tomb on the Burren’s highest ground, built on 350-million-year-old limestone. It is the most famous of Ireland’s roughly 172 dolmens.
Poulnabrone Dolmen, County Clare — photo by eyeem-4
Poulnabrone dolmen goes by Poll na Brón in Irish, which translates to “hole of the quernstone.” It sits in the Burren, County Clare. The structure is a cromlech, specifically a single-chamber portal tomb. Three standing stones hold up a heavy horizontal capstone. Builders raised it during the early Neolithic period, between 3800 and 3200 BC.
You won’t find a bigger example here. Ireland has about 172 dolmens, but this one is the best known of them. It stands on some of the region’s most desolate, highest ground.
The limestone beneath the stones was laid down around 350 million years ago. That ancient pavement created the unique karst landscape of the Burren. Neolithic farmers chose this specific spot. They may have built it for ritual, as a territorial marker, or for collective burial.
Today, you see only the “stone skeleton.” The original monument was covered in soil. The flagstone cap sat in a mound that has long since eroded away. The walk up brings you through the barest ground in the county. The view over the Burren to the Atlantic is part of the site.
The standard route starts at the car park. You climb through the karst pavement, passing lower monuments before reaching the dolmen on the ridge. Allow time for both the climb and the view.
Weather on the Burren changes fast. The open ridge offers no cover. Plan for a full day if you want to explore the wider Burren country.
Poulnabrone is a short drive from Doolin and Ennis. The path stays on open ground. The Burren country manages the monument and the walk. Check current access arrangements before traveling, especially in wet weather.
Waar logeren
Doolin or Ennis put the dolmen, the pavement and the Atlantic all within a short drive.
Bekijk de actuele beschikbaarheid voor je data. Beschikbaarheid en prijzen komen van de aanbieder, niet van ons.
Black Head is the north-western tip of County Clare, where the coast turns and a small 1936 lighthouse stands above Kilrush Bay. The headland offers views of Galway Bay and the Burren, with a concrete tower built after complaints from liner captains.
Carrigaholt is a small fishing village in County Clare at the mouth of the Moyarta, featuring a ruined castle and active pier on the Loop Head peninsula’s estuary side.
Doolin is a west Clare village known for nightly traditional music sessions and harbour departures to the Aran Islands, located four miles from the Cliffs of Moher.
Ennistymon is the market town on the Burren's eastern edge, defined by the River Inagh and its Cascades behind the main street. It sits at the junction of the N67 and N85, serving as a base for the karst country and the road to the Shannon estuary.