Ballyhoura (Limerick) County Limerick
Located 300m west of Lough Gur is Grange, one of the most impressive stone circles in Ireland. Its near-perfect shape, together with a posthole found in the very centre of the enclosure, indicates that the circle was measured out from a central stake with a rope. The ring is made up of 113 contiguous standing stones, with an internal diameter of approximately 46m.
The entrance stones are matched by a pair of equally impressive slabs on the southwest side, whose tops slope down towards each other to form a v-shape. It has been calculated that these stones and the entranceway were aligned with the sunset on the festival of Samain in early November.
Grange is unique in most aspects. Its orthostats are contiguous rather than free-standing, and the surrounding bank makes it look more like a form of henge monument than a conventional stone circle. This embankment and the precise arrangement of orthostats suggest that this site had a ritual purpose. In fact, parallels have been drawn to some of Britains ritual henges, such as Stonehenge, that likewise align their features with solar and lunar events. Grange suggests a high degree of social organization for those who built and utilized it.
Accessible to the public, information panel at site, there are guided tours available as part of the Lough Gur Tours.
