Megalithic tomb - wedge tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

On a W-facing slope in mixed rough pasture and exposed limestone pavement. Drawn and labelled as ‘Cromlech’ on both the first (1842) and Cassini (1920) editions of the OS 6-inch map. Described by de Valera and Ó Nualláin (1961, 54) as a well-preserved wedge tomb (L 3.5m; Wth 1.9m at front, narrowing to 1.3m at rear; av. H 1.5m) orientated SW-NE. The tomb chamber comprised a NW sidestone (L 4.5m; H 1.6m at SW, sloping to 1.1m at the NE; T 0.25m) with its top edge dressed (ibid.). The SE sidestone (L 3.6m; H 1.6m at SW, sloping to 1.35m at the NE; T 0.2-0.25m) was also dressed on its top edge. The close-fitting but slightly outward-leaning backstone (L 1.3m; H 1.45m; T 0.15m) at the NE end had a gap (Wth 0.45m; H 0.4m) in the lower SE corner which appeared to be a relatively recent break (ibid.). The tomb’s large capstone (L 3.75m; Wth 2.5m) was cracked through c. 1.5m from its SW end, as were the sidestones. There were remains of outer-walling at the SE of the tomb, where a line (L c. 4m) of three slabs set on edge ran N-S, almost parallel with the chamber’s SE sidestone at a distance of c. 1.1m away. The rectangular NE slab (L 1.35m; H 1.3m; T 0.15m) in this outer-walling was larger than the central (L 1.4m; H 0.55m) and SW (L 0.6m; H 0.1m; T 0.12m) stones. The chamber floor was uneven. According to Westropp (1905, 217), the tomb was inhabited during the mid-19th century ‘with a small side-annexe to the south, once adopted as a habitation for the family pig’, and mortar filled the gaps between its structural slabs (de Valera and Ó Nualláin 1961, 54). The tomb was also incorporated into several later stone walls, one of which obscured the NW face of the central slab in the tomb’s outer-walling (ibid.). An inspection of the tomb in 1998 found it unaltered in the interim, but it was observed that the surrounding later drystone walls are wide and double-faced. One runs N-S to the W of the chamber, then turns E just to the S of the chamber and almost blocks it off, and then turns S again.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Conn Herriott

 

Date of upload: 23-10-2025

References

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. 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.