Seefin Passage Tomb

This mysterious ancient tomb is roughly 5,300 years old, with intriguing artwork carved into its old stones. Two rocks guarding its entrance are adorned with diamond shapes that some say resemble a human face. An additional stone on the roof also bears a mysterious carving of five lines.

Seefin (Irish: Suí Finn, “The Seat of Fionn”) Passage Tomb near Kilbride, County Wicklow, sits on top of a 2,037-foot-tall mountain. A collapsed part of the roof lets above-ground viewers sneak a peek into the passageway.

People have been visiting this mountaintop structure for millennia. A peat profile taken in the 1960s showed evidence of Neolithic land clearing, suggesting there was once a settlement nearby. It’s likely the tomb has been open and explored for a long time, as there is an Early Christian equal-armed cross added to one of the roof stones.

Strangely, no actual human remains were found inside the tomb when it was excavated in 1931. People speculate that this either means no one was ever buried there at all or that any potential remains were removed and reburied elsewhere. 

It’s a beautiful spot, as it offers stunning vistas across the Wicklow Mountains National Park. However, it can also be a bit of a dangerous locale. It’s along the edge of the Kilbride Military Camp and is extremely close to an active firing danger zone, which is marked by red flags on days it’s active. Scheduled firing days are published by the Defence Forces and available online and through many popular mountain and hill walking websites.