Kealkil

Kealkil is a small village with shops, post office, filling station, pubs, church, school, etc. Kealkil is approximately 40 minutes from Ballincollig and 7 minutes from the large market town of Bantry with all services and amenities available, including a library, leisure complex, 18 hole golf course, hospital, etc.

A wonderful site, well worth the climb up the hill. There is now a rather obvious unlocked sprung gate, with the now obligatory 'No Trespassing' sign attached, leading to the site from the top of the hill. It took some time to traverse the boggy ground leading to the stones, and approaching the site I was sure there was a recumbent sheep guarding the way. It turned out to be a smooth boulder, outside and away from the main complex. The cairn has a couple of bushes growing well in the middle, but I was amazed at the intricacy of the cairn and the sheer number of stones. This site is signed from the village of Kealkil. A very steep and bending lane takes you to the site. When you reach it continue a little to a parking space further up. (From this parking space you can just see another circle – Breeny Mor – over a field to the west) Go through the gate and keep east to reach the site. This is a very small attractive five stone circle with two tall standing stones and a neat radial cairn beside it to the SW. One of the standing stones was originally around 7 metres tall but broke when it fell. The other standing stone reaches 2.4 metres (8ft). The radial cairn has 18 upright stones standing in a ring about 6.4 metres diameter.