Megalithic tomb - wedge tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

On a SE-facing slope, at the edge of a plateau overlooking the W end of the Kilcorney valley, in an area of grass and hazel within a multiperiod field system (CL009-255----). Labelled ‘Dermot and Grania’s Bed’ on the 1920 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. This wedge tomb was described by de Valera and Ó Nualláin (1961, 20-21) as being well preserved but of unusual construction, as set within the E end of the chamber (L 2.35m; Wth at W 1.4m narrowing to 1.15m at E; H at W 1m) was another smaller structure (max. L 1.45m; H 0.8m). This resulted in a doubling of the N and S sidestones at the E end of the tomb and the roof. Immediately outside the S sidestone two stones were set in a line with a third set more to the W of these. Four stones along the N side of the chamber may have been the remains of outer walling. Access to the tomb was gained between two groups of three stones, each group set transversely across the W ends of the N and S sidestones. The tomb was set in the centre of an irregular grass-covered mound (c. 12m E–W; c. 8.5m N–S), which was disturbed on the N side. A field visit in 1998 found that, other than increased hazel encroachment from the N, the tomb was unaltered (SMR file). Westropp (1899, 370) offers several comparisons for the inner structure, including another wedge tomb (CL036-034----) in east Clare. More recently, Grant (2010, 47) has suggested that the inner chamber was a cist added after the original construction of the tomb. Several human bones recovered from the latter chamber appear to belong to a young adult (ibid., 46). One of these bones was radiocarbon-dated to 2033–1897 BC (ibid., 2009, 5; 2010, 47), which is relatively late in the typical range of wedge tomb use (Brindley and Lanting 1992). There are three cairns nearby: one (CL009-020002-) c. 50m to S, another (CL009-145----) c. 150m to ENE and a third (CL009-145003-) c. 160m to ESE.

See linked document with details from Ruaidhrí de Valera and Seán Ó Nualláin, Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume I. County Clare. (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1961)

The following images have been uploaded:
CL009-020001- from SW.jpg
CL009-020001- plan and section (Westropp 1899,369).jpg

Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 29 October 2021

References

SMR file - Sites and monuments record files in the National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Grant, C. 2010 Kilcorney archaeological project. The Other Clare 34, 46-8.

de Valera, R. and Ó Nualláin, S. 1961 Survey of the megalithic tombs of Ireland, vol. 1: County Clare. Dublin. Stationery Office.

Westropp, T.J. 1899 Prehistoric remains in the Burren, County Clare. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 29, 367-84.

Brindley, A. and Lanting, J. 1992 Radiocarbon dates from wedge tombs. Journal of Irish Archaeology 6, 19-26.

Grant, C. 2009 Early Bronze Age date for Burren wedge tomb. Archaeology Ireland 23, No. 4, 5.