Megalithic tomb - portal tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in gently sloping pasture, W of the River Dargle. Three tall granite orthostats survive forming three sides of a chamber which opens to the SSE (H 2.7m; Wth 2.35m; D 2.3m). The E portal-stone leans on the doorstone. A fourth stone had been broken up c. 1876 (Ó Nualláin 1983, 82, 96; Borlase 1897, 2, 393-4). Excavations undertaken between 1984 and 1987 revealed an oval-shaped cairn and concentrations of charcoal and cremated bone associated with the orthostats. A secondary pit burial in the cairn contained an inverted Food Vessel accompanying a cremation (DU022-033002-). N of the orthostats were a series of pits and post-holes and a linear trench, which produced a Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age stone and pottery assemblage (DU022-033003-). A bowl furnance dating to the Iron Age was also revealed in this area (Keeley 1986, 18; 1987, 14-15; 1989-90, 74). Monitoring of groundworks in the same field as 'The Brehon's produced a sherd of coarseware pottery. The fill was burnt, and it is possible that some burning did occur within the pit (Reid 2000, 35).

Compiled by Geraldine Stout

Date of upload: 26th April 2012

References

Keeley, V.J. 1986a Scholarstown ringfort. In C. Cotter (ed.), Excavations 1985: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 23. Dublin. Irish Academic Publications.

Keeley, V.J. 1986b The archaeological investigation of 'Brehon's Chair'. Unpublished report. E000287. National Monuments Section, Heritage and Planning Division, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

Ó Nualláin, S. 1983 Irish portal tombs, topography, siting and distribution. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 113, 75-105.

Ó Nualláin, S. 1983b Irish portal tombs: topography, siting and distribution. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 113, 143.

Reid, M. 2000 Southern Cross motorway route, Balrothery /Ballycullen/Edmondstown/Kilmashogue/Taylor's/Kellystown. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 1998: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 35. Bray. Wordwell.

Borlase, W.C. 1897 The Dolmens of Ireland, 3 vols. London. Chapman and Hall.