Ballinran Court Tomb
Ballinran Court Tomb is situated close to Killowen, County Down, Northern Ireland, on the shore of Carlingford Lough. The site was excavated in April and May 1976 in preparation for a road widening project. The excavation revealed the remains of a large court tomb, despite the absence of visible surface features.
Structure and Layout
The excavation uncovered a burial gallery consisting of five or six segments, aligned approximately north–south, with the forecourt facing the Mourne Mountains. The gallery featured stone sockets for orthostats, some of which contained packing stones or fragments of the original stones. The forecourt was asymmetrical, with better preservation on the western side. No evidence of the original cairn covering survived, suggesting it had been removed prior to the first edition of the Ordnance Survey map.
Finds
No trace of burial deposits was found in situ, although some cremated, presumably human, bone and three primary flint flakes were found. A 'nest' of winkle shells were found placed in a pit as a secondary deposit in the grave. Artifacts recovered from the site were minimal. There was also a child's slate pencil, an iron ring. The presence of 19th-century items within the stone sockets suggests post-destruction disturbance and re-use of the site.