Megalithic tomb - wedge tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

On a NW-facing slope in a flat field at the SE of the central Burren plateau and within an extensive multiperiod field system (CL017-180----). Within a group of four wedge tombs (see also CL016-061001-, CL016-061002- and CL016-061003-) and a quarry (CL016-061005-). The wedge tombs are collectively identified as ‘cromlechs’ on the 1840 and 1916 OS 6-inch maps. Described by O’Donovan in 1839 as one of ‘three cromleachs in the same field, one of which is prostrate’ (Comber 1997, 20). Described by Westropp (1898, 357) as ‘a fine cromlech’ which tapers eastwards in height (L 5.2m; max. H 1.95; H 1.7m) ‘with a curious angular gap in the west slab’. The measurement for the length of the monument was later rectified (L 4.2m) by Westropp (1905, 213-14) and it is included in the ‘Reabachan Group of Dolmens’ and described as ‘perfect’ (Westropp 1907, 464). This site is recorded in the Megalithic Survey as CL. 61 (De Valera and Ó Nualláin 1961, 51) and the following details are drawn from there.

A well-preserved wedge tomb with a WSW-ENE aligned chamber (L 2.95m; Wth 2m at W end; H 1.2m at W end; Wth 1.7m at E end; H 0.85m at E end) which decreases in height and width from W to E and is surrounded by a mound (9.5m E-W; 7m N-S). The N and S sides of the chamber comprise single slabs. The N sidestone leans inwards (L 4.5m; H 1.1m at W end; H 0.85m at E end; T 0.1-0.2m) and the top edge of this stone (L 3.6m) bears the marks of flaking and has been broken away in the E corner. The S sidestone (L 4.2m; H 1.2m at W; H 0.9m at E; T 0.15m) also appears to have been flaked along the top edge (L 3.4m) but it is unclear in both of these instances if this flaking is representative of intentional dressing. The closing stone (L 1.4m; H 1.05m; T 0.15m) at the W end of the chamber is level with the S sidestone but there is a gap (L 0.45m) between it and the N sidestone. This closing stone is also flaked along the top. The E end of the chamber is closed by a single slab (L 1.15m; H 0.95m; T 0.15-0.2m) which is the same height as both the N and S sidestones. The top edge of the E stone at N has been broken away and there is a gap (L 0.4m) between the N edge of the E stone and the N sidestone.

In the W end of the chamber, both the N and S sidestones support the portion of the roofstone (L 1.6m; Wth 2.85m at W end; Wth 3m at E end; T 0.2-0.3m) which remains. The weight of the roofstone rests on a stone (max. dims. 0.15m; T 0.5m) which sits on the top of the N sidestone and the roofstone also partially rests on the W end of the chamber. The E end of the roofstone is broken and stone fragments (max. dims. 0.75m) within the chamber may be portions of it (De Valera and Ó Nualláin 1961, 51).

This wedge tomb is part of the Roughan hill group which falls within the four townlands of Parknabinnia, Leana, Caherfadda and Commons North and have been acknowledged as the densest concentration of wedge tombs in Ireland (Jones et al. 2015, 5). Excavations carried out at three wedge tombs in the area, CL017-180002- (Ó Maoldúin 2015), CL016-061002- (Ó Maoldúin 2017) and CL017-009---- (Ó Maoldúin 2022) have confirmed their date of construction as Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age (Ó Maoldúin pers. comm.). This wedge tomb is located c. 171m to the SSE of Jones’ (2011, 38) Farm RH2 (enclosures CL016-173001- and CL016-173----) and c. 304m to the SE of Jones’ (2011, 39) Farm RH5 (three conjoined enclosures CL016-174----, CL016-177---- and CL016-165----). These farms are two of four (RH1, 2, 5 & 7) within 200m of each other and are Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age habitation enclosures set within contemporary field systems defined by mound walls (Jones and Walsh 1996; Jones et. al. 2011; Jones et al. 2015).

The following item has been uploaded:
CL016-061004-_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 Lynda McCormack

Date of upload: 27 July 2022

References

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

Ó Maoldúin, R. 2022 Preliminary report on the excavation of wedge tomb CL017-009----, Parknabinnia, Co. Clare. Licence 17E0216. Unpublished report, National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Ó Maoldúin, R. 2017 Preliminary report on the excavation of wedge tomb CL016-061002-, Parknabinnia, Co. Clare. Licence 16E0129. Unpublished report, National Monuments Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Ó Maoldúin, R. 2015 Preliminary report on the excavation of wedge tomb CL017-180002-, Parknabinnia, Co. Clare. Licence 15E0053. Unpublished report, National Monuments Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Jones, C., McVeigh, T. and Ó Maoldúin, R. 2015 Monuments, landscape and identity in Chalcolithic Ireland. In K. Springs (ed.), Landscape and identity – archaeology and human geography. British Archaeological Reports, International Series 2709, 3-25. Oxford: Archaeopress.

Jones, C., Carey, O. and Hennigar, C. 2011 Domestic production and the political economy in prehistory: evidence from the Burren, Co. Clare. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 111C, 33-58.

Jones, C. and Walsh, P. 1996 Recent discoveries on Roughan Hill, County Clare. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 126, 86-107.

Westropp, T.J. 1898 Prehistoric remains in the Burren, County Clare (Carran and Kilcorney). The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 28, 352-66.

Comber, M. (ed.) 1997 The antiquities of County Clare: John O’Donovan and Eugene Curry: Ordnance Survey Letters 1839. Clasp Press. Ennis.

Westropp, T. J. 1905 Prehistoric remains (Forts and Dolmens) along the borders of Burren, in the county of Clare. Part 1 – The Eastern Border. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. 35, 205-29.

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.