The Giant’s Ring is an impressively large neolithic site situated just outside of Belfast in the townland of Ballynahatty. The site consists of a mammoth circular enclosure, around 180 metres in diameter and encompassing an area of almost 7 acres. This enclosure is surrounded by a circular earthwork bank around 3.5 metres in height. To the east of the centre of the enclosure is a small passage tomb facing west. The tomb is made up of 5 upright stones and a large capstone. The earthwork bank has five irregularly spaced gaps in the bank, and it has been surmised that at least three of these gaps are intentional and may date from the initial construction of the bank. A study in 1954 noted that the inner walls of the earthwork may have been faced off with stone. It appears for the original studies of the area in the mid 19th century that the giants ring is surrounded by a range of other monuments some still there and others long destroyed such as standing stones, cist graves and cairns. Its hard to understand fully the purpose of this monument but its sheer scale and design would lend one to believe it served a ritual purpose or acted as a gathering place. In the 17th century horse races took place in the interior of the circle. The area surrounding the circle churned up a large number of human remains and other alcohological finds, perhaps the most interesting being the bones of what was then referred to as the ‘Ballynahatty woman’. Her bones dated back to 2600 BC and it is believed she originated from southern Europe, most probably Spain. DNA tests shows that her ancestors were middle eastern in origin who migrated via the Iberian Peninsula to Ireland during the Neolithic period. The Giant’s Ring is not too far off the beaten path if you are making a trip to Belfast so is well worth a visit as its expansive scale really is awe inspiring.
GPS: 54.5403, -5.95007