Cist

The National Monuments Service's description

This feature, named as ‘Dermot & Grania’s Bed’ on the 1840 edition OS map, stood on a very slight NW-facing slope, in generally level pasture with reasonable views of the surrounding landscape. According to Westropp (1902-04, 112-13), he sketched the dolmen in 1883, however it was blown-up by the tenant farmer in July 1890. It consisted of ‘a small box of three slabs and a cover, and sloped towards the south; it lay east and west’ (ibid.). In a later article, he states that he found ‘the sides of the blown-up cist in a low mound, 15 feet long north and south, 9 feet east and west. It was a small cist 3 feet 6 inches wide and long to 2 feet 6 inches wide,’ (Westropp 1907, 469). Named as ‘Dermot & Grania’s Bed (site of)’ on the 25-inch OS map, suggesting that it was no longer extant by the late 19th century. De Valera and Ó Nualláin (1961, 97) describe the last potential extant record: ‘the tops of two sets of stones, one 1.2m long and 0.4m high and the other 0.4m long and 0.3m high protrude from an irregular mound 4.5m across’. On inspection in 2017 there were no visible remains of any such feature at ground level.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Alison McQueen

Date of upload: 8 November 2017

References

Westropp, T.J. 1902-4 The cists, dolmens, and pillars in the eastern half of the county of Clare. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 24C, 107-131.

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. 1907 The cists, dolmens, and pillars of the western half of the county of Clare. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 26C, 447-72.