Monument types

• Stone circlesLate Neolithic to Bronze Age (typological)Rings of upright stones, sometimes set on or within a bank. In Ireland they are generally attributed to the late Neolithic and Bronze Age, though few have been excavated and dates for individual circles are often unknown.
• Portal tombsEarly NeolithicMegalithic tombs with two tall portal stones flanking an entrance, and a large capstone usually resting higher at the front. Dated examples in Ireland belong to the Early Neolithic.
• Court tombsEarly NeolithicMegalithic tombs with an unroofed court leading to a roofed burial gallery. They are concentrated in the northern half of Ireland and are among the earliest Neolithic monuments in the country.
• Passage tombsMiddle to Late NeolithicTombs in which a passage leads to a chamber beneath a round cairn or mound, often sited on hilltops and frequently grouped in cemeteries.
• CairnsVarious periodsMounds of stones. Some cover tombs; others are of uncertain function or date. Hilltop cairns in Ireland are often, but not always, prehistoric.
• CashelsMainly early medievalEnclosures defined by a dry-stone wall: the stone-built counterpart of the earthen ringfort. Most belong to the early medieval period.