On the summit of Slieve Gullion, a 5,000-year-old passage tomb is getting a careful fix that reads like a modern restoration job, even though the structure dates back to the Neolithic era. A team that includes archaeologists, engineers, stonemasons, and blacksmiths has been hiking up County Armagh’s highest mountain each day to replace a roof that was installed in the 1960s and later became dangerously corroded.
Historic Environment Division archaeologist Stuart Alexander said the team spent months planning the work after an engineering report found the roof was close to failure. The tomb is best known for the winter solstice, when light floods the chamber at sunset, and the project is scheduled to wrap up in time for the solstice in about three months.
Access is part of the challenge. Some materials were delivered by helicopter, but much of the building material has been carried up by hand. The hike from the highest carpark takes about 40 minutes, and weather on the mountain can switch fast from wide-open views to thick mist.
Blacksmith apprentice Lucas Adams helped fabricate parts of the new roof after working on other historic restoration, including 18th-century cannons at Carrickfergus Castle. He said the roof replacement required four new steel beams, new plates, and a new cage that allows light to enter. The new roof is not a replica of the original corbelled stone roof, but the work has been completed to the satisfaction of the Historic Environment Division.
Project manager Owen Mort has been monitoring cracks in the stone structure with a tell-tale device to confirm the work is not triggering movement. The tomb also sits within an Area of Special Scientific Interest, which added ecological permissions to the preconstruction checklist.
For mason contractors and restoration crews, this project is a clean reminder that preservation work starts long before tools hit the wall. Plan access and material handling early, document existing cracks, and keep monitoring in place during critical lifts and installs. On jobs where new steel meets ancient stone, corrosion history, connection details, and movement tracking carry the schedule.
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