Copney Stone Circles

This important complex of stone circles is on the north slope of Copney Hill, in the south foothills of the Sperrins, and was brought to notice only in 1979. The monuments extend down the slope for at least 180m, still partly covered by peat. The cut-over surface makes access difficult and the hillside is often very wet. Nine circles, a cairn and an alignment are visible, though there could be other features still under the bog. A tall standing stone on higher ground to the south, the highest stone on the site, overlooks the circles.

The largest circles are at the top of the slope (north-west) and a double alignment links two of them. In 1994 these large circles were partly cleared of peat and were found to contain complex patterns of smaller stones, in one case a radial arrangement and in the other two concentric rings. Their central, probably burial, cairns had all been disturbed in antiquity. These newly uncovered stones stood out in dramatic white against the dark bog, but their surfaces were unstable and further uncovering was not attempted. Down the slope, to the south-east, are the smaller circles, in at least one case forming a pair. After the clearance work, the Copney site was described as the most complex and visually impressive group of stone circles yet identified. They belong to the same mid Ulster group as the Drumskinny and Beaghmore stone circles.

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