Megalithic tomb - wedge tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

Coomatloukane townland, where four wedge-tombs occur is located on a steeply sloping SW spur of Farraniaragh mountain, close to the SW end of the peninsula. The land is characterised by rock outcrop and boulders, with intervening stretches of rough boggy pasture, and it affords broad views to S across the mouth of the Kenmare river to the Beara Peninsula. Much of the land has been reclaimed, though not in the vicinity of the wedge-tombs. The three northern tombs, which form a group (KE106-036001-, KE106-036002- and KE106-037----), were excavated by Herity (1967, 218).
The best preserved of these is situated on a small platform and consists of a narrow wedge-shaped gallery, aligned E-W, flanked on either side by outer-walling; single upright slabs link the ends of this walling to the front of the gallery. A prostrate stone found at the entrance may have segmented the 4m long gallery, which measures 1.05m wide at W and narrows to .7m at E. A shattered roof-stone covers the rear of the gallery, where the back-stone is missing. Loose cairn material extended beyond the limits of the outer walling (de Valera and Ó Nualláin 1982, 66). A small quantity of cremated bone was found in the gallery during its excavation.

The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 77. 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)

Date of upload: 28 July 2013