Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Megalithic tomb - wedge tomb
Cragballyconoal, County Clare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Cragballyconoal
- County
- Clare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Cromlech
- Latest-edition OS map
- Cromlech (1916)
- Coordinates
- 53.05276, -9.12094
- SMR number
- CL005-161----
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
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
In elevated improved pasture on a gentle W-facing slope, abutting the Cragballyconoal-Ballymihil townland boundary and within an extensive multiperiod field system (CL005-160001-). Named ‘Cromlech’ on the 1839 and 1916 OS 6-inch maps, with a mound indicated by a dashed line on the former map. Called the ‘White Labba’ by Westropp (1906-7, 460), and described as ‘a cromlech in a green mound; the top has been removed since 1862 … the top edges have been hammer-dressed; they slope towards the east, and being coated with white lichen form a conspicuous object across the valley’ (1899, 372).
Described by de Valera and Ó Nualláin (1962, 14-15) as orientated NE-SW and comprising a NW sidestone (L 4.2m; H 1.3-7m; T 0.25-0.3m), a SE sidestone (L 3.7m; H 1.3-7m; T 0.25-0.3m) and an NE backstone (Wth 1.8m; H 1.05m; T 0.2m) set within a ‘long distorted mound’ (19m E-W; 13m N-S; max. H 1.5m), augmented by dumped field rubble. The sidestones had straight dressed top edges which sloped down from SW to NE. The chamber (L c. 3m) was widest at the SW (Wth 1.75m), narrowing slightly to the NE. No trace of the monument was evident on inspection in 1998. A large limestone flag possibly representing the remains of the tomb is visible on OSi MapGenie orthophotography (2013-2018) and on Google Earth (25 April 2021) lying recumbent beside a drystone field wall c. 10m NE of the original site of the monument. A mound (CL005-182----) lies c. 130m to the SW.
Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Eve Campbell
Date of upload: 7 October 2025
References
Westropp, T.J. 1899 Prehistoric remains in the Burren, County Clare. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 29, 367-84.
Westropp, T.J. 1906-07 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, R. and Ó Nualláin, S. 1961 Survey of the megalithic tombs of Ireland, vol. 1: County Clare. Dublin. Stationery Office.
Nearby in the register
- Crossunder 1 mi
- Fulacht fiaunder 1 mi
- Mass-rockunder 1 mi
- Souterrainunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.