DROMBEG STONE CIRCLE
An Drom Beag (the small ridge)
Glandore, County Cork

The Drombeg Stone Circle is one of the finest stone circles in County Cork, dating back to about 150BC. The circle has 17 standing stones and measures about 30 feet in diameter.

During the winter solstice the setting suns rays fall on the flat altar stone that faces the entrance to the circle.

Nearby is a fine example of a Stone Age cooking pit called a fulacht fiadh, pronounced ful-ackt fee.

Originally, a fire was made in a hearth and hot stones were added to the embers to heat. These stones would then be placed in the cooking pit to heat the water for cooking. Once the water was boiling, meat, usually venison, was added. The hot stones would bring the water to a slow boil/simmer, thus cooking the meat slowly over several hours, which would produce a very tender meat.

Think "slow cooker" here, or crock pot cooking.

fulacht fiadh - cooking pit