Megalithic tomb - portal tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on the SE-facing spine of a small NW-SE drumlin ridge. It is depicted only on the 1907 edition of the OS 6-inch map where it is described in gothic lettering as a ‘Cromlech’. It was built into the outer (SW) edge of a field bank at the SW angle of a field. The roofstone had been dislodged and the western side-stone damaged in 1847, but a scribbing at the edge of a fissure on the damaged side-stone was recorded by John O’Donovan in 1835 (Herity 2012, 182) and Graves in 1848 (Ferguson 1873). This appears to be more like runes than ogham or any other script, but the present condition of the carving is not known. The field bank had been removed by 1983 when the monument was described as a large roofstone (dims 3.4m x 2.6m; T 0.7m) supported on two side-stones (Ó Nualláin 1983, 100). (Borlase 1897 vol. 1, 294)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Monaghan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

See the attached view from Borlase _1, and drawings of the inscription by O'Donovan (above) and Ferguson after Borlase _2

Revised by: Michael Moore

Date of revision: 22 June 2018

References

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

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

Ferguson. S. 1873: Proceedings; Inscribed Cromlechs. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. 12, 523-6.

Herity, M. (ed.) 2012 Ordnance Survey Letters: Londonderry, Fermanagh, Armagh-Monaghan, Louth, Cavan-Leitrim. Dublin, Fourmasters Press