Cist

The National Monuments Service's description

In tillage. Powerstown River flows roughly E-W c. 150m to the S. A short cist (int. dims. 0.63m x 0.45m; D 0.45m) discovered during ploughing in the spring of 1960, when the capstone (dims. 1.73m x 0.79m; T 0.18m), which extended beyond the cist itself to both NE and SW, was disturbed. There were the cremated remains of possibly one adult on the flagstone floor of the cist. A small enclosure (KK025-010----), which had been levelled many years when the cist was found, is located in the immediate vicinity and may be a barrow associated with the cist.
Described by Prendergast (1962, 18-21), the capstone consisted of, ‘a flat rectangular block of granite and measured 5 feet 8 inches [1.73m] long by 2 feet 7 inches [0.79m] wide, averaging 7 inches [0.18m] thick. Its weight was estimated at a ton and a half. It appeared to have been trimmed on all surfaces. The cist-grave measured internally 2 feet 1 inch [0.63m] long by 1 foot 6 inches [0.45m] wide and the depth was 1 feet 6 inches [0.45m] (from the top of the base slab to the mouth of the grave). It was formed of flat slabs fitted together to from a rectangular cavity with another flat flagstone on the bottom. Smaller stones were used as packing against the outside and some stones were used to level up the mouth of the cist so that the capstone rested firmly and sealed the cavity underneath.
Two kinds of stone were used – the capstone, west side-stone, north end-stone (broken across) and the bottom slab were of granite, all apparently dressed; all the others were of limestone. Limestone is the stone of the locality. Granite occurs about a mile to the east of Jeanville; glacial drift might account for its being available to the builders of the cist.
The orientation of the structure on its length was North-East and South-West. A pile of cremated bones mixed with flecks of charcoal lay towards the northern end of the grave. Judging by their bulk it is estimated that they represent one adult and they do not seem to have been subjected to very intense heat since the fragments were not minute. Nothing else was found with the burial’.

See attached:
KK025-009----_01 Plan and section of cist (Prendergast 1962, 18-21)

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 28 February 2022

References

Prendergast, E. 1962 Prehistoric grave near Gowran. Old Kilkenny Review 14, 18-21.