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History and Historical Sites

Dolmen

There are numerous cromlechs or dolmens scattered over the Irish countryside. These are very large stones, standing upright, with one bid flat rock laid on top of them. There are usually three uprights and one table rock. They mark the burial places of Kings, princes and persons of royal blood, but there is only one in Ireland which, according to Dr O'Donovan, can be satisfactorily connected with history. This is in a field in Ballina, Co. Mayo just behind the railway station.

There is a very interesting historic tale connected to this cromlech in Ballina, which reads like a modern day thriller full of intrigue, murder, greed, revenge, eventual repentance and retribution. It came about like this..

King Eoghan Bel was mortally wounded in a great battle at Sligo, by the two sons of Muircheartach MacEarca. This occasion was the culmination of a clan feud because the same Muircheartach had slain Oilill Molt, who was the grandfather of Eoghan Bel and also King of Ireland. Oilill Molt was the son of King David. MacEarca was of the Northern Ui Neill tribe.

Eoghan Bel had two sons, the eldest Ceallach, who was studying for the priesthood at Clonmacnoise, under the tutorship of St. Ciaran, and the youngest Cucoingelt, otherwise called Muredach, who was only a boy. When their father knew he was dying, he told his men to go for Ceallach and place him on the throne of Ceallach in his stead, as Muredach was too young.