Megalithic tomb - passage tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

It appears as if an area has been carved out of the SE edge of the hillock, creating a circular platform c. 15m in diameter. A collection of c. 12 stones running in a NW-SE direction form a possible passage. The two stones at the SW end (stone 1: 0.8m x 0.8m H 0.6m; stone 2: 0.8m x 0.4m H 0.6m) are about 30cm apart and are roughly in line with a number of other stones that run down to the largest visible stone (0.9m x 0.6m; H 0.8m). There are a number of other stones set along the edge of the carved area of the hillock. It is not clear whether the stones are just the remains of quarrying or whether they are in fact the remains of a megalithic structure, possibly a passage tomb.
The passage is aligned simultaneously on the summer solstice sunset and Ciarn T on Slieve na Cailliagh(Prendergast 2018), and it could be the last remnant of a passage tomb cemetery that was destroyed in 1864, the only description of which was provided by Conwell (1864, 47-8) in his first communication and is worth quoting in its entirety: A short distance south of the Moat of Patrickstown (ME015-016----), in what is now called the townland of Thomastown, have stood, until the spring of this year, 21 tumuli, each from six to ten feet high, and ranging from 14-30 paces in circumference, about 10 yards distant from one another, on an average, and grouped in a circle. They have been constructed of stones in the centre covered by about 2 feet of earth. Fourteen of these only now remain, the others having been torn up for the sake of the stones they contained, and have been used in the construction of an adjoining new fence running through the sites of some of them, by Mr. Stowell Garnet, the owner of the soil. This piece of wanton destruction is much to be regretted, as nothing could be more picturesque than the position of these tumuli, on elevated ground, gradually sloping down to the centre of the circle formed by them, and ending in a round pool of water, 60 paces in circumference. Looking from this spot are to be seen in every direction numerous raths.

Compiled by: Claire Breen and Michael Moore

Date of revised upload: 10 July 2005
Amended: 10 January 2019

References

Conwell, E. C. 1864 On Ancient Remains, hitherto undescribed, in the County of Meath. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. 9 (1864-66), 42-50.

Prendergast, F. 2018 Solar Alignment and the Irish Passage Tomb Tradition. Archaeology Ireland: Heritage Guide, No. 82