Poulnabrone Dolmen

Poulnabrone Dolmen is a portal tomb built around 3500 BC, standing on the open limestone pavement of the Burren in County Clare. The structure consists of two upright portal stones supporting a large capstone, with a forecourt in front — a classic portal tomb form. It stands about 1.8 metres high. In the wider Burren landscape, with the limestone pavement stretching to the horizon and the Aran Islands visible on clear days, the dolmen has a stark beauty that makes it one of the most photographed prehistoric monuments in Ireland.

When the tomb was excavated in 1986, the remains of at least 33 people were found — men, women and juveniles — along with animal bones, a bone pendant, a polished stone axe, pottery and flint tools. The evidence suggests the tomb was used as a communal burial site over several hundred years. The human remains have been returned to the tomb following analysis.

The dolmen sits a short walk from a roadside parking area on the R480 through the Burren. It is free to visit and accessible year-round. Aillwee Cave is 8 km to the northwest; the Caherconnell Stone Fort is 2 km to the south. The Burren as a landscape rewards slow exploration — the limestone pavement holds 70% of Ireland's native wild flowers, with spring (April–June) the peak season for orchids, gentians and mountain avens.