Write a comment
MLA Justin McNulty has called for urgent action to restore Slieve Gullion's prehistoric passage grave, which remains closed to the public.
Since last summer neither locals nor tourists can access with a sign explaining "This area is currently closed due to ongoing works". The difficulty is that works are not ongoing and in fact haven't started. On the winter solstice each year locals and visitors assemble to climb into the chamber to witness the setting sun shine through the entrance but in December this wasn't possible, and the fear is that it could be many years before it is again if work is not started.
Explaining their reasoning for closing the facility the Department for Communities said in reply to a Newry.ie media query "The passage and main chamber were excavated by archaeologists in 1961 and shortly after the excavation, a concrete roof was installed over the main chamber. This roof is supported by steel beams which have become corroded over time and so will require replacement. The issue was highlighted as part of the Department's proactive programme of cyclical inspections of State Care Monuments & robust H&S regime to ensure public safety."
Speaking in the Assembly last week, McNulty, who grew up on the foothills of Slieve Gullion, outlined the deep significance the site holds for the people of South Armagh. The South Cairn, which sits almost 2,000 feet above sea level, is the highest surviving passage grave in Ireland and predates both the pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge by thousands of years.
McNulty set out the personal and cultural weight of the site for the local community: "As someone who lives in and grew up on its foothills, I have a huge physical, emotional and spiritual attachment to Slieve Gullion and its prehistoric cairn, which was constructed at its summit more than 5,000 years ago. I know that everyone from south Armagh feels the same way. We have a visceral connection to our mountain and to the cairn at its summit. It is part of who we are; it is part of our cultural identity; and it forms part of our very being."
The MLA suggested that restoring the cairn's corbelling to its original form would allow visitors to experience complete darkness inside the chamber.
McNulty was critical of the lack of progress over a number of years, pointing to a failure by a previous Minister to respond to his concerns. He stated: "I wrote to the then Sinn Féin Minister for Communities in 2022 and asked her what she was going to do to restore the corbelling on top of the cairn on Slieve Gullion. She did not see fit to answer my question, so it is a bit rich for some Members to talk about other Ministers having responsibility."
He has since written to both the Minister for Communities and the Minister for the Economy, pressing them to act. In his address, McNulty said: "I have written to both Ministers to ask what they will do to bring our Court Cairn back to life, which would allow locals to access it and for it to become a global tourism feature. It is and has the potential to be a mesmerising place of wonder."
With two departments now in a position to take action, McNulty has made clear that restoring Slieve Gullion's passage grave represents both a cultural duty to the people of South Armagh and a significant opportunity for tourism across the region.
