Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Megalithic tomb - passage tomb
Gortfad, County Donegal, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Gortfad
- County
- Donegal
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- NULL
- Latest-edition OS map
- Giants Grave (1904)
- Coordinates
- 54.81036, -7.56771
- SMR number
- DG079-007----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1881 "Ireland to Illustrate the Military Condition of the Country." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
This monument, demolished sometime between 1985 and 1991, stood 1.75km SSE of Site A in Kilmonaster Middle townland. It has been interpreted as a cruciform passage tomb (Ó Nualláin 1983a). Before its destruction there were five set stones and a number of displaced slabs at the site. A terminal chamber at the SW and a side- chamber at right angles to it toward the S appeared to be present. Two opposed orthostats, large well-matched slabs, seemed to represent the sides of the terminal chamber. This measured lm wide and at least 2.5m long. A low stone, possibly a sill, and a tall stone opposite it seemed to mark the front and back of the side-chamber, which was 0.8m long. The fifth set stone at the site stood where a presumed passage would have opened onto the chambers. It was low and may have been a sillstone.
Fagan 1845-8, book 12, 5; Ó Nualláin 1983a, 37, no. 87; SMR 1987, 79:7; Ó Nualláin 1989, 128; RMP 1995, 79:7.
The above description was published in the 'Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume VI, County Donegal.' Compiled by: Eamon Cody (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002).
Date of upload: 22 September 2008
Nearby in the register
- Megalithic tomb - portal tombunder 1 mi
- Standing stoneunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - cashelunder 1 mi
- Standing stoneunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.