Audleystown Court Cairn

Audleystown Court Cairn is a Neolithic stone burial structure near Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. It features a central stone corridor with two side galleries that together contain four separate burial chambers.

The monument was built in the early Neolithic period, between 3900 and 3500 BCE. Excavations in the 1950s uncovered the remains of around 30 people along with various objects from that era.

The two court areas show how Neolithic people placed and honored their dead in chambers. This layout speaks of communities that carefully planned and performed burial rituals together.

The site is accessible year-round and sits in open countryside near Downpatrick. A visit requires no special preparation, but sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothing suit the Northern Ireland climate.

Among the remains, archaeologists found both burnt and unburnt bones, showing that early inhabitants used different burial methods. This mixture suggests rituals were flexible and may have varied depending on the person or time period.