Megalithic tomb - passage tomb

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in rough pasture towards the S end of the summit of a N-S ridge. This is an undifferentiated passage (L 6.1m; Wth 1.05m at the entrance to 1.37m) opening to the ENE, composed of a sillstone with six sidestones on each side which increase in height towards the W backstone. The side-walls have outer support walls. Two of the original five lintels are in place. The passage is surrounded by a kerb of 27 stones (diam. 9.15m). It was first noted by Ryland (1824, 243), followed by the Halls (Scott 1984, 117-8), and described by Reade (1868-9) who called the ridge Carrick a Dhirra. Later commentators found it unchanged (Atkins 1896; Ó Nualláin and Walsh 1986, 25).

It was excavated in 1939 by J. Hawkes (1941) when the cremated remains of two individuals and a stone pendant were found in the passage, although it had previously been robbed-out (Reade 1868-9, 161-2). The covering cairn (diam. c. 15.25m) had spilled outside the orthostats, and it may have had an outer kerb of dispersed orthostats. The cairn contained secondary burials, all cremations, one with a bowl food vessel (Ó Ríordáin and Waddell 1993, 139), three with cordoned urns (Kavanagh 1976, 374-5), one of which had a pygmy cup (Kavanagh 1977), and an unclassifiable urn. The cremated remains of at least five others were found in two pits. Finds associated with the secondary burials consist of a razor, a faience bead and perforated bone pins.

Atkins, R. (1896) The rude stone monuments of our own and other lands. WAJ. Vol. 2, 131-61.
Hawkes, J. (1941) Excavation of a megalithic tomb at Harristown, Co. Waterford. JRSAI, vol. 71, 130-47.
Kavanagh, R. (1976) Collared and cordoned cinerary urns in Ireland, PRIA 76C, 293-403.
Kavanagh, R. (1977) Pygmy cups in Ireland, JRSAI, vol. 107, 61-95.
Ó Nualláin, S. and Walsh, P. (1986) A reconsideration of the Tramore passage tombs. PPS 52, 25-9.
O'Ríordáin, B. and Waddell, J. (1993) The funerary bowls and vases of the Irish Bronze Age. Galway University Press.
Reade, Rev. G. H. (1868-9a) Proceedings. JRSAI, vol. 10, 159-62.
Ryland, Rev. R. H. (1824) The History, topography and antiquities of the county and city of Waterford. John Murray. London.
Scott, M. (Ed.) (1984) Hall's Ireland. Mr. And Mrs. Hall's tour of Ireland, 1840. Sphere. London.
Waddell, J. (1990) The Bronze Age burials of Ireland. Galway University Press.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Waterford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload/revision: 13 June 2011