Which one to choose in Ireland
Two ancient sites in Ireland. Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery has no online ticket listed; Newgrange has 6 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Sligo, Ireland
Carrowmore is a Neolithic cemetery of about 30 surviving stone tombs on the Coolera peninsula just west of Sligo, built and used between about 3750 and 3000 BC. It is one of the four largest megalithic complexes in Ireland, with boulder circles and dolmens grouped around a restored central cairn. Knocknarea mountain, crowned by a great cairn, rises over the whole site.
Donore, Ireland
Newgrange is a Neolithic passage tomb in the Boyne Valley, built around 3100 BC and so older than Stonehenge and the Giza pyramids. A guided tour takes you along its stone passage into the corbelled chamber, where the winter solstice sunrise still shines through a slot above the entrance, an event recreated with lights on every visit.
| Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery | Newgrange | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Megalithic Site | Megalithic Site |
| Civilisation | Prehistoric | Prehistoric |
| Founded | 3750 BC | 3100 BC |
| Area | — | 4 500 m² |
| Entry | About EUR 5; reduced for seniors, students and children | Modest OPW fee for exhibition and tour; Heritage Card valid |
| Hours | Visitor centre open roughly Easter to mid-October, about 10 am to 6 pm | Visitor centre opens daily from 9 am; closing between 5 pm and early evening by season |
| Time needed | 1 to 2 hours | 2 to 3 hours with the visitor centre |
| Booking | Pay at the visitor centre; no need to book | Book online in advance; summer tours sell out days ahead |
| UNESCO | — | yes |
| Tickets and tours on GetYourGuide | none listed | 6 |
| Official website | — | yes |