The Beaghmore stone circles, an amazing series of seven standing stone rings and ten lines of stones were only uncovered in 1945 as peat was lifted from the bog on the edge of the Sperrins.
The purpose of the stones, are mostly only a few feet in height, still baffles archaeologists, but the scale of the site and the regularity of the patterns shows that it must have been a very important site in the Bronze Age.
Two of the lines point to the sunrise at summer solstice and others are said to be aligned with movements of the sun, moon and stars. The site which also contains 12 round burial cairns, dating back to 2000BC and some of the larger circles have been given names like the Dragons Teeth. To find the stones look for the signpost on the A505 from Cookstown (14km) to Omagh or the B46 from Gortin.
Ardboe High Cross
The 18 feet high Ardboe Cross near Coagh is one of the best preserved Celtic high crosses in Northern Ireland. Carved in the 10th century, it sits in front of the site of a sixth century monastery which now holds a ruined 17th century church.
Unfortunately the shore of Lough Neagh where the cross sits, isn't a very scenic spot. However its size, and the carvings of Old Testament scenes of Adam and Eve, the sacrifice of Isaac, Daniel and the Lions, the Burning Fiery Furnace and Christ on the West side and New Testament scenes of the Magi, the Miracle at Cana, the Miracle of the Loaves and Fish and the arrest and crucifixion of Christ, make the cross worth a look.
There is a second Tyrone high cross 8km west of Dungannon on the B43 to Pomeroy. The Donaghmore High Cross is slightly smaller but has similar Old and New Testament carved panels.
Tullaghoge Fort
Although there isn't a great deal left of Tullaghoge Fort on a hill, 4km from Cookstown, it is interesting as the site of the stone coronation chair of Ulster's 11th century Tyrone Kings, the O'Neills.
The chair was destroyed by the English General Mountjoy as he tried to hunt down Hugh O'Neill, the last of the clan to be crowned in 1601. The O'Neills had fought the English successfully for five years but were finally dispossessed of their land by the English when Hugh was forced to sign the Treaty of Mellifont in 1603.
