One very unmistakable monument dating back to pre-historical times is the great Brownshill Dolmen the east of Carlow town.
Brownshill Dolmen has a granite capstone weighing over 100 tonnes, making it the largest of its kind in Europe. The massive capstone rests on two portal stones which flank a door stone and slopes downwards to the west where it rests on a low boulder.
The magnificent capstone has excited the interest of many antiquarians and tourists down through the years and it is thought that religious rites, possibly even human sacrifice, were performed there for four and a half thousand years (2500 BC).
Signposted, direct access at 5km from Carlow town on the R726 Hacketstown Road.