Megalithic tomb - court tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

On rocky pasture commanding an extensive outlook to the S. This court tomb is a National Monument in state ownership (no. 465). A U-shaped open court (L c. 7m) at the NNE leads to a well-preserved gallery (L 13m; Wth 1.5-2.9m) of four chambers. There are some poorly defined traces of mound around the structure. The two entrance jambs of the gallery function as courtstones and, in addition, one orthostat of the more westerly arm of the court survives and two remain on the other side. At the outer end of this side of the court there is a low moss-covered courtstone and just beyond and at right angles to it another low stone, apparently part of the tomb facade. A stone, split in two, and set more or less along the main axis of the structure stands in the gallery entrance and divides it in two. Another stone at right angles to the last closes the eastern half of the entrance gap. The divisions between the first three chambers are marked by single jambs, in each case at the W. The third and fourth chambers are separated by a sillstone. The chamber sidestones and the backstone of the gallery survive intact. There are three blocks of stone of uncertain origin between 1m and 9m beyond the back of the gallery. A stone wall extends NE-SW across the W arm of the court. A large limestone block on top of a smaller stone lies c. 30m to SW and is known locally as the 'Rocking stone'. An unclassified megalithic tomb (SL035-078----) lies c. 200m to W. (Ó Nualláin 1989, 68-9, no. 110)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).

Date of upload: 18 January 2008

See linked document with details from Seán Ó Nualláin, Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume V. County Sligo. (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1989)