The Blue Lights of Creevykeel Court Tomb

Unexplained Mysteries

Ireland is filled with ghosts. It’s ancient cultures, almost entirely mysterious to us, have left a windswept landscape littered with mysteries and strange places.

Among the strangest, and the oldest, can be found in County Donegal. Far out on the windswept Atlantic coast, the mysterious Creevykeel Court Tomb can be found, a neolithic marvel steeped in mystery and folklore.

With its weathered stones and haunting atmosphere, Creevykeel Court Tomb has captivated the imaginations of generations, drawing visitors from far and wide to ponder the secrets hidden within its ancient chambers.

Some say they have seen mysterious blue lights which come from nowhere and light the ancient stones with their eerie glow. Others have heard the ghosts of Creevykeel howling on the darkest of nights.

Who were these ancient people, who built this tomb? And who was the court of Creevykeel?

Artifacts, Giants and Spirits

Creevykeel Court Tomb, or Tuama Cúirte na Craobhaí Caoile to give it its proper Irish name, is one of the best-surviving examples of a court tomb left in Ireland. These megalithic tombs date back to around 4000–2500 BC and were examples of what is known as “chambered cairn” or “gallery” graves.

Plan of the Neolithic site at Creevykeel (A.-K. D. / Public Domain)

These monoliths, recognized by their uncovered courtyard, once numbered in the hundreds across Ireland and southwest Scotland. Some are older than the great pyramids of Giza.

While the site is known as Creevykeel today, amongst the locals it was once referred to as Caisleán Bhaoisgin, which roughly translates to “Castle of Enchantment”. Confusing things further, when archaeologists first cataloged the site during the 1900s, they gave it yet another name, “the Giants’ Graves,” owing to the many large stones found at the site.