h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've become interested in Stone Circles. I decided to give myself a good overview of them, but not to get too much into the details.

I reckon the best way to learn about anything is to write an article about it, so I've been working on an entry: A87875635.

I visited a few circles over the last 25 years, but I read that more than half of the circles in Ireland are in West Cork, so on my recent week's holiday in West Cork, I went to and photographed three different circles. That's enough to give me a flavour.

There's a really weird type in Northern Ireland, so my next task will be to drive to Tyrone to see the ones at Bealagh. Since this involves a drive of three hours there and three hours back, I don't think I'll persuade any of my family to come with me.

Once that's done and written up, I can move onto some new topic.

I can’t believe we don’t already have an entry on this. It’s a huge subject, and well done for filling the gap.

I once wrote about a walk in Cornwall which takes you past a circular stone (Men-an-Tom), a standing stone, a stone circle and a quoit. I strongly recommend it if you ever get over that way.

Men-an-Tol, that should read.

There is something fascinating about stone circles - it was a privilege for me to visit Stonehenge, and I did see a couple when I was in Ireland some years ago, so your article is very welcome reading

Interesting topic.

Pardon the ignorance, but what's a quoit? I ask because I remember my dad playing quoits with other Southern men back in the day. Their 'quoits' were palm-sized lead disks.

That Men-an-Tol doughnut-shaped stone looks interesting. I don't think there is anything like that in Ireland.

Of course, that's an American toroidal doughnut rather than a British jam-filled ellipsoidal doughnut.

Is this proof that the Palaeolithic people of Cornwall discovered America?

'Quoit' seems to be a name in parts of England for the capstone of a dolmen.

A typical dolmen has three standing stones, two tall and one small, and a flat 'capstone' or 'quoit' put on top of all three so that it forms a sloping roof. The gap between the two tall stones is a 'portal' - probably not a portal into the dolmen, but a portal out of it, for the spirits of the people buried inside.

There are usually flat slabs around the sides and in the portal to keep people out, although they don't stop the spirits.

Thanks for the info!

Ah, I see that 'quoit' is also used in Cornwall to mean the whole dolmen.

And I see that the game of quoits (pronounced 'kwaits' by my dad) is quite ancient - playing it was regarded as a dubious pastime in the 15th Century, rather like hanging around pool halls...

"Is this proof that the Palaeolithic people of Cornwall discovered America?" [Gnomon]

Maybe paleolithic Americans discovered Cornwall, but couldn't figure out what to do with it, so they played a few games and then went home.

I finally got to Tyrone on Wednesday and have now put the Irish Stone Circles entry into Peer Review.

Thank you

That's great!