We visited the ancient stone row of Shantemon on the 2nd October 2015, the land was shrouded in thick mist and countless spiders had woven a tapestry of webs across every branch and tree. It was the perfect atmosphere to visit a 3,000 year old place of ritual and ceremony that is soaked in legend and folklore!
The stone row at Shantemon consists of five stones aligned north-west – south east. They are graded in height, with the smallest at the north-western end (approximately 50cm [0.64 feet] tall) and the tallest at the south-east (approximately 2m [6.6 feet] tall).
Though there is a significant number in Ulster, stone rows and alignments are more common in the south-west of Ireland, particularly in counties Cork and Kerry. They generally date to the Bronze Age, between 1700 – 800 BC, and are occasionally found in association with stone circles. They may have had an astronomical function, as, like the example at Shantemon, they tend to be sited on prominent slopes or hilltops, though unfortunately the true purpose for these enigmatic monuments remains unknown. Similar monuments are found across Britain as well as parts of Scandinavia, Brittany and northern France.
This site is imbued with folklore and tales of the legendary warrior Fionn MacCumhaill. It is said that the four tall stones are Fionn’s fingers and the low stone his thumb, indeed the site is signposted ‘Finn’s Fingers’ .
Shantemon is less than a 15 minute drive from Cavan Town. To find Shantemon Stone Row from Cavan, take the R188 north through Drumalee Cross, and continue on this road for about 10 minutes, turning right at Coratober (the third right turn after you go under the N3). When you reach the crossroads, turn left and continue on this road until you see a small carpark on the left at 54.02054, -7.29423. Park here, opposite you will see a sign pointing up a track to Finn’s Fingers with interpretation of the ‘Castletara Millennium Trail’. Walk along the track for approximately 350m, where you will see a smaller, rougher track disappearing into the gorse on your right. Follow this track to the stone row.
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