Knockmaree Dolmen

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Knockmaree Dolmen is a Neolithic burial tomb in Phoenix Park, just north of Chapelizod, near Dublin, Ireland. It is a cist, a small stone burial chamber, with a large capstone resting on smaller stones. The capstone measures 1.96 m by 1.05 m and is water-worn, likely coming from the nearby River Liffey. The tomb dates to about 3000–2500 BCE (around 5,000 years old).

It was discovered in 1838 when workmen were removing a mound about 15 feet high and 120 feet in circumference. In the central chamber (1.20 m by 0.60 m) two male skeletons were found, crouched and aged about 40 and 50. Grave goods included small perforated sea-shells (periwinkles) thought to form a necklace and a flint knife. In the outer cists were an urn and food vessels, with burnt bone and ashes.

The tomb is known as a Linkardstown burial, a type of megalithic grave with mounds of similar size on hilltops. It was repaired in 1973 and again in the 1990s, including a concrete block to support the capstone. In the 1970s a fire damaged the capstone, causing cracks that were then fixed with concrete. In early 2023 the capstone was damaged again, with part broken off; tire tracks around the tomb suggested possible machinery damage. The Office of Public Works said the damage resulted from the failure of earlier repairs. Since the 1990s, there have been calls to protect the site with fencing and signage.