Megalithic tomb - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

In the N part of a modern rectangular pasture field, on a level terrace on a N-facing slope, which provides good views NW-E: Knocknarae draws the eye to NW, Benbulbin and the Dartry Mountains define the skyline to N, and the Ballygawley Mountains are visible to E. Ground rises gently for c. 15m to SE-S to a low E-W ridge.
This record refers to an unclassified megalithic tomb first recorded in the late 1800’s by Wood-Martin (1887-8, 260-1), who described it as an 'elongated cist, apparently divided into four septa or compartments. Its longer axis, measuring about 25 feet [7.6m], is approximately E. and W., its average width being 15 feet [4.5m]’. He noted that ‘the few Irish-speaking natives in the vicinity called it “Tumban” (i.e. little tumulus’)’.
Wood-Martin mentioned that Seaton F. Milligan ‘had made a slight excavation, and found some bones seemingly bearing traces of fire; but on his return early in the following week, to complete his exploration, he found that the country-people had employed themselves on the previous Sunday in digging in the interior of the monument, thereby displacing several of the stones.’ He added that ‘the debris thrown out of the interior was examined, but nothing came under notice save a few calcined and uncalcined bones and a piece of quartz.’ (Ibid. 61).
The tomb is not indicated on any edition of the OS 6-inch maps and Wood-martin did not record its exact location. According to local information, it stood c. 200m N of a cashel (MA020-123----), and the chamber walls with a single in situ capstone were still extant in the 1980’s (pers. comm. Ivan Sullivan, 2023). In the late 1980’s the tomb was removed during land reclamation works and the stones are said to have been dumped in a heap close to the W boundary of the field at ITM 568566 830680 c. 100m S of their original position. A heap of stones is still visible at that location, including eight large irregular-shaped boulders (size range: 0.5m by 0.8m to 1m by 1.8m) with a number of smaller boulders and a scatter of small loose rubble.

There are now no visible structural remains of the tomb at its original location. A few shallow indentations (c. 0.8-1m across) in the grassy field surface may indicate the original position of the stones, and it is possible that subsurface remains survive as the 1980’s land reclamation works did not involve deep excavation (pers. comm. Ivan Sullivan, 2023).

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 30 May 2023

References

Wood-Martin, W.G. 1887-8 The rude stone monuments of Ireland, parts III to VIII. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 18, 50-94, 118-59, 254-99, 367-81.