Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Megalithic tomb - wedge tomb
Gragan East, County Clare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Gragan East
- County
- Clare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.07986, -9.17121
- SMR number
- CL005-091----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1753 map "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1753 · Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
At the head of a narrow valley in partially reclaimed pasture but with some scrub cover. Comprehensively recorded by the Megalithic Survey (de Valera and Ó Nualláin 1961, 5-6) but unlocated when inspected in 1999.
Described by the Megalithic Survey, as a moderately well-preserved, wedge-shaped tomb – in dense overgrowth - comprising a SW-orientated chamber (L 2.25m NE-SW; Wth at rear (NE) 1.25m; Wth at front (SW) c. 1.65m) surrounded by remnants of an outer wall (L c. 5m; Wth at front c. 4m) and a cairn (diam. c. 8m; max. H 0.5m).
The chamber consisted of northern and southern sidestones and a backstone. The S-sidestone (L 2.6m; T 0.1-0.3m) stood erect and had a flat top that rose steeply toward its front (H at rear 0.8m; H at front 1.25m). A small packing stone was set in the chamber near its rear end. The N-sidestone (L 2.35m) leaned out at a c. 45-degree angle and was consequently not as high (H at rear 0.75m; H at front 1m). The backstone (L 1.25m; H 0.8m) had both of its top corners removed and sat flush with the N-sidestone but there was a gap (Wth 0.1-0.2m) between it and the S-sidestone. There were two displaced stones, one S of the S-sidestone (L 0.8m) and another (L 1.25m) leaning on the backstone. Three slabs in the chamber (max. L 0.75m) may have been remnants of the capstone.
The tomb chamber appears to have been enclosed by a slightly larger, wedge-shaped outer wall (L c. 5m; Wth at front c. 4m). Seven slabs of the outer wall were recorded: a single slab (L 0.9m; H 0.35m) was set c. 1.1m behind the chamber’s backstone. Two slabs (L 0.95m; H 0.5m and L 0.55m; H 0.8m) survived to the N of the chamber’s N-sidestone, two more slabs to the S of the chamber’s S-sidestone (L 1m; H 0.4m and 1.15m; H 0.25m) and two slabs (L 1m; H 0.8m and L 0.8m; H 0.55m), set 0.35m apart, formed part of a flat façade to the front of the tomb.
The low, surrounding cairn was roughly circular (diam. c. 8m; max. H 0.5m) and there were some loose slabs (max. L 1m) lying to its W.
See attached image: CL005-091----_01 Photo of tomb from the Megalithic Survey.
Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Ros Ó Maoldúin
Date of upload: 16 January 2023
References
de Valera, R. and Ó Nualláin, S. 1961 Survey of the megalithic tombs of Ireland, vol. 1: County Clare. Dublin. Stationery Office.
Nearby in the register
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Cross-inscribed stoneunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.