Mullyash Mountain – prehistoric cairn and the Monaghan Way

Overview

A prehistoric kerbed cairn crowns Mullyash Mountain in County Monaghan, a hill of drumlin country that someone once thought worth the effort of hauling stone to the summit. The monument record describes the remains on the hill. Leave the cairn undisturbed and keep clear of farm gates.

The cairn

The summit is crowned by a kerbed cairn, a National Monument (ref. 564). It is a bowl-barrow ringed by a kerb of set stones, and most archaeologists reckon it hides a passage tomb of the kind early farming communities built for their dead.

A broken standing stone stands to the west of the cairn. Both sit on the boundary between the townlands of Mullyash and Tavanaskea, in the parish of Muckno, hard against the Armagh border.

Folklore

Local tradition kept the hill busy long after the tomb-builders:

• Crom Dubh’s Sunday – into the mid-20th century people climbed Mullyash on the last Sunday in July, a survival of the harvest festival of Lughnasadh, with dancing at the cairn and a walk out to the standing stone.
• The marriage stone – young people are said to have come to the standing stone to find a match, leaving a small token at its base as a pledge.
• Fionn’s throw – one legend has the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill hurling a stone from Slieve Gullion to land where the standing stone now sits.

Walking the Monaghan Way

The Monaghan Way is a separate mapped walking option in the area. Use Sport Ireland’s Monaghan Way map, follow the published route and check current trail notices. The cairn and standing stone are protected monuments: leave the stones where they are and keep to the published route and public paths.

Before you go

The cairn is on a hill in farming country, so the ground can be soft and slippery after rain and sturdy boots are sensible. Check the forecast, as the long views from high ground are the point and a grey day gives you cloud instead. Pair a visit with Carrickmacross and its lace gallery, or carry on south to the lakeside town of Castleblayney. For local heritage enquiries, the county heritage office is on 047 73722.