Cairn - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located on the level top of a low ridge in an area of undulating, hilly terrain. A stream skirts the base of the ridge at NE and N. The long spine of the Ox Mountains extends E−SE on the near horizon, and the summit of Nephin Mountain is visible in the far distance to SW.
This monument is a National Monument (no. 293) in state ownership. It is not indicated on the 1838 and 1922 OS 6-inch maps. In the early 20th-century it was recorded as a mound (3.65m x 3.65m; H 0.9) with a chamber (2m x 1m; H 1m), known traditionally as the ‘Fairy hole’ (OPW Topographical Files).
A massive slab (L c. 3m NE−SW; Wth 1.9m; T 0.1-0.35m) lies prostrate on the ground. It is subrectangular or roughly oblong in shape, narrowing in width towards either end at NE and SW. The flat upper surface of the slab is pitted with several small, circular solution hollows (diam. 0.5-0.15m; D 0.02-0.03m), with the greatest concentration along the E−SE side of the stone. The slab covers a subterranean pit or cavity (D 0.2m at NE end; 0.3-0.4m at SW end) which appears to mirror the length and width of the slab. According to local information, in the early-mid 20th-century it was possible for a person to crawl beneath the capstone into the cavity, but the cavity is now largely infilled with small stones and is inaccessible.
The SW end of the slab is partly concealed beneath an irregular-shaped, sod-covered mound (5m N−S; 2.5m E−W; H 0.7m) of earth and stones. A lower, shapeless sod-covered heap (max. dim. c. 3m; H 0.4-0.45m) lies adjacent to the NE end of the slab.
According to local tradition, rainwater taken from the largest of the solution hollows on the surface of the slab can be used to cure warts.
There is a wedge tomb (MA040-019----) 370m to NE, another (MA040-017----) is located 600m to N, and a standing stone (MA040-014----) is visible on a hill top c. 730m to W.

Attached images:
MA040-093001-_01.JPG viewed from S
MA040-093001-_02.JPG slab viewed from SW
MA040-093001-_03.JPG slab viewed from NE
MA040-093001-_04.JPG viewed from S, showing opening to cavity under slab
MA040-093001-_05.JPG stony mound at SW end of slab, viewed from NW

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 19 October 2018