Giant's Ring

The Giant's Ring is a Late Neolithic henge at Ballynahatty, Belfast, dating to approximately 2700 BC, predating the Egyptian pyramids. The circular enclosure spans 200 metres in diameter, surrounded by an earthwork bank 4 metres high, with a small passage tomb of five uprights and a capstone at its centre. Excavations from 1917 onwards revealed an inner quarry ditch, stone facade, and in the 1990s two enormous wooden palisade enclosures with 471 posts nearby. DNA from the nearby 'Ballynahatty woman' provided key insights into ancient Irish populations.