Knocks, Co Cork

A week ago I had to go to Dunmanway, and finding myself there with a bit of time to spare I went seven miles out of town on the Clonakilty road to look for some megaliths in Knocks. The first stop was just south of Ballingurteen in a field behind a shop, where I visited the Knocks N stone circle.

There are ten stones still standing from the original eleven and these stones range in height from 60cm to 1.1m.

The diameter of the circle is just short of 9m whilst the axis has an equinoctial alignment of east/west.

Heading southwest I saw this stone pair in a hedge on the brow of a hill overlooking the Argideen River. The taller stone is 2.2m high.

There are a few townlands in Co Cork that have two or more stone circles, Baurgorm and Carrigulla come to mind, and in Knocks there is a second circle known as Knocks S which is to be found just south of the stone pair in open pasture that the Argideen River flows through just 100m from the circle.

The stone circle would have originally consisted of nine or perhaps considering the layout of those still standing, eleven stones might be more likely. Now though there are only five remaining as well as a standing stone in the centre of the circle.

The stones in the circle range in height from 90cm to 1.45m, the stone in the centre of the circle is 1.15m high.

The diameter of this circle is 8.5m and its orientation is northeast/southwest.

Both the stone circles at Knocks are not hard to find and near to a road, so they made an easy and well worth excursion.