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Anciently sacred because horizon shape & cyclical celestial patterns are in useful harmony at this place.

Orange lines mark the annual solar round. Lunistice positions over the 18.6 year lunar nodal cycle are blue. More about the Solar CalendarMore about the Lunar Calendar

mega-what / ancient sacred places / Ireland, West Cork, Clear Island (ferries from Baltimore or Schull)

Killickaforavane: Passage Tomb CO153-010

NGR 09712/02217 ( IV 97239 ITM 22092 / 51.44284, -9.47869) [Googlemap]

Trajectories 3000BCE. Tap/Click pics for big ones.

Killickaforavane Passage Tomb, Cork, Ireland from SW. Killickaforavane Passage Tomb is on Clear Island, off the south coast of West Cork. The site is a hilltop but the tomb is not on the highest point. Severely ruined but the chamber and some kerb stones are discernible. It has been thought to be orientated towards summer solstice sunrise but evidence is lacking. Survey was from the chamber.

Panoramic view with luni-solar trajectories c.3000BCE from Killickaforavane Passage Tomb, Cork, Ireland. South is on sea horizon over the right side of a coastal dip but the sector is unsurveyed [Pic].

North is on distant mountains over the Lisheen peninsula but the sector is unsurveyed [Pic].

NE from Killickaforavane Passage Tomb, Cork, Ireland. The major standstillLunistice positions vary cyclically over an 18.6 year period but are fairly static for more than a year at either end of the range and its adjacent sixteenth occur on a pair of distant hilltops. Summer solstice sunrise is on Milane hilltop and the lunar mid­point in the dip south of that. the lunar minor eighth is on Knockomagh hilltop with the minor end of the lunisticeLunistices are the most northerly and southerly moons of the month. The lunar equivalent of solstices - more. range at its south base.

E from Killickaforavane Passage Tomb, Cork, Ireland. The end of the mainland marks the equinox/ summer cross-quarter mid­point. Beyond that the sea horizon extends all the way round to the west.

SE from Killickaforavane Passage Tomb, Cork, Ireland. The south-eastern lunisticeLunistices are the most northerly and southerly moons of the month. The lunar equivalent of solstices - more. zone is on the sea horizon but is over the left side of a coastal dip.

SW from Killickaforavane Passage Tomb, Cork, Ireland. South-west is also sea horizon but the local landscape offers numerous markers. The lunar mid­point and maximum occur over coastal highpoints. The major eighth is over the local hilltop and the notch formed by the intersect of the hilltop with the mouth of south harbour indicating a lunar sixteenth.

W from Killickaforavane Passage Tomb, Cork, Ireland. The equinoctial sunset is at the intersection of sea horizon and Mizen peninsula, with its northern quarter and half-month brackets both on hilltops.

The equinox / summer cross-quarter mid­point is at the centre of a wide dip but the next good mark is the cross-quarter itself at the south basal notch of a hill.

A modern cairn obscures about 15° of this horizon from within the chamber.

NW from Killickaforavane Passage Tomb, Cork, Ireland. The most extreme moonset position is at the south basal step of the prominent Hungry Hill with its adjacent sixteenth marked by a small, pointed top just before it. The major eighth is on a hilltop and the sixteenth beyond the mid­point is just before an obvious notch.

The only other Passage Tomb in this neck of the woods is at Ringarogy Island, c.11km to the north-east in the estuary of the Ilen river.

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