Dowth Passage Tomb, County Meath

The Boyne Valley is one of the most important archaeological landscapes in the world and this region sheltered in a bend of the River Boyne, known as Brú na Bóinne (meaning Palace of the Boyne) is home to three massive Neolithic passage tombs, Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. A number of smaller tombs and features of huge importance are also contained within this area, but for this blogpost I’ll be focusing on Dowth – perhaps the least understood of the three major tombs. 

The silver ribbon of the Boyne visible from Dowth

Dowth is located around 2km north-east of Newgrange. Unlike Newgrange and Knowth, Dowth has never been properly excavated by archaeologists so there is far less known about the site. However in the middle of the nineteenth century, an extremely large hole was dug into the top of the mound.

Dowth is thought to date to around 5000 years old. It measures approximately 85m (280ft) in diameter and is ringed by 115 kerbstones, some of which display megalithic art. Two tombs are known at the western side of the large mound at Dowth and the setting sun in winter seems to illuminate the southernmost of these. Unfortunately on the day we visited we couldn’t access the passageways of the tombs as they were behind locked gates. The more northerly tomb has an 8m (26ft) long passageway that leads into a cruciform shaped chamber with an annexe leading off it. It also has an early medieval souterrain, probably dating to around the 10th century leading off the passageway. This shows that the tomb was still an important place in the early medieval period and possibly indicates a connection to an ancient monument with folkloric supernatural qualities. The southern passage has a circular chamber with a diameter of 4m (13ft). 

Unlike Knowth there are no satellite tombs immediately outside the great tomb at Dowth, but there are outlying tombs around 0.5km away, and a massive earth embanked henge is located to the east though there is no public access to that site.

A view down the northern passageway through the locked gate

A view down the southern passageway through the locked gate

The entrance to the southern passageway with a large kerbstone bearing cupmarks directly in front of the entrance

Dowth was known in early literature as Dubad and Sid mBresail (the otherworld mound of Bresal). The medieval manuscripts known as Dindseanchas explains how Dowth (Dubad) got its name. They tell the story of how all the men of Ireland were commanded by the King to come together for just one day to build a tower that would reach the heavens. The King's sister secretly used magic and stopped the sun in the sky so that there would be an endless day. As time wore on the men of Ireland became exhausted and realised that they had been tricked. However the magic spell was broken when the King and his sister committed incest. Darkness swiftly covered the land and work on the great mound was abandoned, it was said that Dubad (darkness) would be the name of this place from that day. In his brilliant new publication Archaeology and Celtic Myth, Professor John Waddell of NUI Galway notes the co-incidence that this legend reflects control over time and that archaeological excavation has revealed solar ritual and astronomical reflection in the tombs construction. Giving credit to Professor MJ O’Kelly and J. Carey’s hypothesis that these tales and legends recorded in medieval times might echo the beliefs of Neolithic tomb-builders millennia before.

If you look very carefully you can make out megalithic art on this kerbstone

The construction of the massive passage tombs of the Boyne Valley like Dowth, Knowth and Newgrange possibly indicate a larger-scale social identity. The physical size of these monuments and their complexity in construction suggests that there was an ability to mobilise hundreds of people to work on the tombs. This gives an indication of a concerted effort by a large group. Perhaps suggesting that these early farmers were forming large community groups for mutual support and ritual practices.

Dowth is free to access and there are no on-site guides, though the nearby Brú na Bóinne visitor centre gives a really good overview of the archaeology and history of these fascinating sites. A day out to the visitor centre to see Newgrange and Knowth and then a short drive to see Dowth is one of the most atmospheric and rewarding days you can have. I highly recommend it! For more information on the Visitor Centre please see here.

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Some Sources and Further Reading

Cooney, G. 2000. Landscapes of Neolithic Ireland (Routledge, London)
Cooney, G. and Grogan, E. 1999. Irish Prehistory; A Social Perspective (Wordwell, Wicklow).
Herity, M. and Eogan. G. 1996. Ireland in Prehistory (Routledge, London)
Waddell, J. 2014. Archaeology and Celtic Myth (Four Courts Press, Dublin).