Megalithic tomb - wedge tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

In a small clearing surrounded by moderately dense hazel scrub in an area of rough outcropping rock. A tomb is indicated and named ‘Cromlech’ in this area on both the 1842 and 1915 eds. of the OS 6-inch maps. However, on the 1842 map it is located c. 100m to the S. Perhaps because of the mapping discrepancy and the dense hazel, on his initial visit to Rannagh East Westropp (Comber 1999, 60) did not manage to find this tomb and instead recorded a tomb (CL006-057----) in Termon as in this townland. However, he later corrected his mistake and did record this tomb (Comber 1999, 110–11). It is listed and described in the Megalithic Survey as CL.21 (de Valera and Ó Nualláin 1961, 16–17).
It is a poorly preserved wedge tomb set in a low mound (12.5m NE–SW; 11m NW-SE), of which only two broken sidestones and two possible chamber endstones survive. It is orientated SW and the sidestones diverge (chamber Wth at E end 1.9m; chamber Wth at W end 2.55m) and rise (see southern sidestone) in that direction. The southern sidestone (L 4.55m; T 0.2–0.4m; H at NE 1.3m; H at SW 1.4m) survives largely intact but its upper NE end is broken, it is cracked in three places and it leans outward. Its upper edge is dressed to a rounded shape and its SW upper edge juts forward in a ‘prow’. All that remains of the northern sidestone are three pieces, the largest and best preserved of which is its SW end (L 2.9m; H at W end 1.45m, H at E end 1.4m). This is not as definitively dressed as the southern sidestone, but some chips do appear to have been removed. Its upper edge is squarish, and its SW end projects in a ‘prow’, like the southern sidestone; the two other surviving pieces (L 0.7m and 0.4m) suggest it was once as long (c. 4.5m) as the southern sidestone. The possible endstones overlap one another in the west end of the tomb. The more northerly (L 1.3m; H 0.95m; T 0.15m) is set outside the more southerly (L 0.95m; 0.35m; T 0.35m). The smaller southerly stone may have acted as a sill and served to allow access to the tomb. Six small stones (H 0.1–0.2m) form a line (L c. 3m) running SW–NE along the NW side of the tomb. The most north-easterly stone is set perpendicular to the line potentially making a terminus. A later field wall extends SE from the SE side of the tomb.
Another wedge tomb (CL010-019----) is in Rannagh East c. 510m to the SSW and the wedge tomb (CL006-057----) in Termon townland is located c. 300m to the ESE.

The following has been uploaded:
CL006-056----_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).

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin

Date of upload: 13 September 2021

References

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