Description
Beltany Neolithic Stone Circle, Raphoe, County Donegal, Ireland
For thousands of years the landscape around Raphoe has been an important centre of ritual practise, a place of worship to where pre christian ancestors came to pay homage to their spiritual rulers such as the Sun & Moon. Near Raphoe on the summit of Beltany Hill stands this Neolithic stone circle dating back 800 – 1400BC. This stone circle comprises of 64 standing stones but it is thought that there may have been originally 80 stones. One of the stones which is about 2 metres in height stands to the southeast of the circle. It probably had some function related to the pagan ceremonies held in the circle. Its hard to imagine that these standing stones may have been standing here as long as the Great Pyramids in Egypt!
I captured this scene of my wife & son enjoying a moment together on this ancient monument & wondered…. if our ancestors who constructed these mysterious stone circles throughout Ireland & beyond ever imagined that some day thousands of years later, their monuments would still be standing and still have people staring in “Awe & Wonder” at their achievements and construction skills from so long ago?
Do you think our modern constructed cement Skyscraper Towers over a mile high & our modern park sculptures etc will still be standing & striking wonder into our own descendants 2000 years from now? I personally don’t think so & believe we may have lost some magic throughout the modern ages……
