Megalithic tomb - wedge tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

In a depression on a level karstic plateau, within a large multiperiod field system (CL004-027001-), with higher ground to the E and views of the ocean from SSW to NW. It is one of four wedge tombs (CL004-066001- and CL004-066002-, CL004-071---- and CL004-073----) known as the Ballynahown group in the Megalithic Survey (De Valera and Ó Nualláin 1961, 41). Westropp (1907, 462) recorded a ‘giant's grave…in a walled hollow’ with ‘rows of large stones, and entrance’. This may refer to this tomb which is located in a slight depression or it may refer to another wedge tomb (CL004-073----) c. 500m to the NE which is located in an oval hollow and is surrounded by a later stone wall.

A poorly preserved wedge tomb with a SSW-aligned chamber (est. min. L 3.6m; est. Wth c. 1.75m) which increases in height toward the front. It is on a low mound (est. diam. c. 7.5m) crossed by a NNE-SSW-oriented field wall c. 2.5m to the E of the chamber. The tomb was recorded in the Megalithic Survey as CL. 46 (De Valera and Ó Nualláin 1961, 40) (although the orientations cited in the written description are incorrect). The W side of the chamber comprises a single slab (L 3.6m; H 1.55m at SSW; H 1.45m at NNE; T 0.15m) with traces of dressing on its upper edge. A small, set slab (L 0.45m; H 0.25m; T 0.1m) located 1.75m to the E may be the broken base of an E sidestone. To the rear of the chamber are two parallel lines of slabs. The inner line comprises two E-W aligned slabs set end to end (W stone: L 1.2m; H 0.4m; T 0.15m; E stone: L 1m; H 0.3m; T 0.15m) 0.3m N of the W sidestone and the outer line, c. 1m to the N, comprises a single set slab (L 1.85m; H 0.2m; T 0.1m); both are likely remnants of outer wall lines. To the front of the chamber there are two small stones with similar dimensions (L 0.4m; H 0.1m; T 0.05m), set perpendicular and 1-1.5m beyond the W sidestone; these either mark the front of the chamber or an outer wall line. Two stones to the W of the W sidestone may also represent outer-walling (N stone: L 1.1m; H 0.2m; T 0.15m; S stone: L 0.8m; H 0.35m; T 0.1m). Further to the W of these stones is a small irregular upright (L 0.25m; H 0.45m; T 0.1m).

Field inspection in 1998 noted that the E sidestone, small front stones and low mound were no longer visible because of vegetation. Another wedge tomb (CL004-066002-) is located c. 91m to the N.

The following items have been uploaded:
CL004-066001-_01.pdf Details from Ruaidhrí de Valera and Seán Ó Nualláin, Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume I. County Clare. (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1961).
CL004-066001-_01.jpg View from N
CL004-066001-_02.jpg View from S

Date of upload: 23 December 2011

References

Westropp, T.J. 1907 The cists, dolmens, and pillars of the western half of the county of Clare. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 26C, 447-72.

De Valera and Ó Nualláin 1961 Survey of the megalithic tombs of Ireland, vol. i, County Clare. Dublin. Stationery Office.