The Rugged Beauty of Neolithic Cairn F in Carrowkeel

The Neolithic cairns of Carrowkeel, situated on the top of the Bricklieve Mountains in County Sligo, are among the most remarkable in all of Ireland in terms of their location. Cairn F sits not far from a precipitous drop into the gorge between two of the mountain ridges. Situated in the townland of Carricknahorna East, it straddles a zone or margin where a wrong step could lead to a long fall.

I am privileged to have been able to capture many atmospheric and wonderful views of ancient Irish monuments. This one belongs, I hope, in the "Wow" category. Cairn F looks small in this image, but it is in fact 25 metres (almost 85ft) in diameter. It is situated just 40 feet from the edge of the cliff.

The invention of drone technology in recent years has allowed photographers like me to capture new views of the Irish monuments, views that we would have previously thought were only possible from a helicopter. The drone certainly offers a distinct perspective, and demonstrates something of the wonderful and raw, rugged beauty of the Carrowkeel Cairns and the Bricklieve landscape.

I loved this photograph of Cairn F at Carrowkeel so much that I included it in the 2024 Mythical Ireland calendar. I hope you like it as much as I do.