Description
A torchlit dolmen, illuminated by the light of the moon and stars. Perhaps thousands of years ago the people of Neolithic Ireland buried their dead by the light of flame and moon. Whether or not it ever happened, we’ll likely never know, but it’s quite the atmospheric scene to imagine! In this painting I depicted the beautiful Haroldstown Dolmen in County Carlow.
The beautiful Haroldstown Dolmen is reknowned for its graceful appearance. This huge portal tomb catches your eye immediately from its position in a roadside pasture as you pass by over the Acaun bridge. Like the other ancient dolmens of Ireland, this tomb was constructed during the Neolithic period, making it over 5000 years old. It has two overlapping capstones that make the structure around seven meters long altogether.
The chamber of this tomb is larger than most dolmens, in fact I’ve heard stories that in the 19th century a family lived inside it. During this period in Ireland the Great Famine took place, along with the Land War, so it’s certainly possible that a displaced family could have sought shelter somewhere like this.
Please note that this dolmen is on private farmland and as such can only be viewed from the road unless you have permission from the landowner.
This is an 10″ × 8″ high quality giclée print, printed on beautiful Hahnemühle William Turner paper and signed by Shelly Mooney.
