Megalithic tomb - wedge tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

On top of slight natural knoll in flat pasture, c. 120m N of Leapford Stream. There is a possible megalithic tomb (CO042-056002-) c. 60m to the SW, and a standing stone pair (CO042-057----) c. 350m to the NE. Excavation of this wedge tomb in 1957 (O'Kelly 1958a) revealed a gallery, aligned NE-SW (L 5.75m; Wth 1.2m at SW end, 0.75m at NE). A low sill and jamb-like slab separates the main chamber from the portico, immediately inside the SW end of which stands a low pillar stone. The gallery is surrounded by a U-shaped setting of outer-walling, doubled towards the SW, and joined to the gallery by a façade. The structure had been enveloped in an ovoid or D-shaped cairn (L 11.5m; Wth 9.7m), at the edge of which were a series of spaced sockets for probable kerb stones. Beyond the gallery entrance and façade were four further sockets and trench interpreted as kerb revetment for blocking material. Evidence for three cremated burials were found in the main chamber; in a shallow pit just NE of the sill, in a pit towards NE end, and in area between it and the gallery end. Three worked flints were recovered from primary levels within the main chamber. A small hearth was uncovered immediately N of the outer-walling. Three C14 determinations indicated a single phase of activity that occurred sometime within the calibrated range of 1412-1308 BC, with the most probable explanation suggesting that the gallery and the outer-wall were constructed sometime in the early Bronze Age and subsequently enhanced by a concentric kerb setting (Brindley and Lanting 1991-92, 20-21). (de Valera and Ó Nualláin 1982, 5, no. 6)

This is a National Monument in State Guardianship (no. 502).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

See linked document with details from Ruaidhrí de Valera and Seán Ó Nualláin, Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume IV. Counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary. (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1982)

See attached photographs
CO042-056001-_02: wedge tomb, looking NE - copyright of Amanda Clarke 2016-2022 https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/
CO042-056001-_03: view of the wedge tomb from the E, showing the cairn enveloping the tomb - copyright of Amanda Clarke 2016-2022 https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/
CO042-056001-_04: view of the U-shaped outer walling and gallery, looking SW
CO042-056001-_05: Plan of tomb (in O'Kelly 1958a, opp. p.5)

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

References

O'Kelly, M.J. 1958a A wedge-shaped gallery grave at Island, Co. Cork. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 88, 1-23.

Brindley, A.L. and Lanting, J.N. 1991-2 Radiocarbon dates from wedge tombs. Journal of Irish Archaeology 6, 19-26.

de Valera, R. and Ó Nualláin, S. 1982 Survey of the megalithic tombs of Ireland. Vol. IV, Counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary. Dublin. Stationery Office.