Ancient Grave

On a level crag terrace in rough pasture, with land sloping to the W and rising to the NE and SE. Within an extensive multiperiod field system (CL005-160001-). Indicated and labelled ‘Ancient Grave’ on the Cassini edition (1920) of the OS 6-inch map. Described by de Valera and Ó Nualláin (1961, 35-6) as a well-preserved and unusually small wedge tomb (L 1.6m; Wth at W 1.2m, narrowing to 0.75m at E; H at W 0.95m, sloping to 0.85m at E) that was embedded in the centre of a very poorly defined and partly grass-covered, circular cairn (diam. 7.5m; max. H c. 0.5m) of loose slabs (av. L 0.2-0.5m; max. L 1.5m). The tomb was orientated E–W and the footings of a later stone wall extended N from the NW corner. The tomb’s S sidestone (L 1.9m; H at W 1m, sloping to 0.9m at E; T 0.15m) was set in a gryke, and had straight edges. The N sidestone (L 1.95m; H 0.9m at W, sloping to 0.85m at E; T 0.15-0.2m) showed evidence of dressing on its top edge. There was a small packing stone (H 0.4m; L 0.3m) immediately to the N of this sidestone’s W end. A rectangular slab (L 1.2m; H 0.9m; T 0.1m) closed the W end of the tomb, standing at the same height as the sidestones which it almost touched. A small break (L 0.1m; H 0.1m) in the closing stone’s top N corner appeared to be accidental. The tomb’s capstone was broken, with a large fragment (L 1.3m; max. Wth at W 1.65m; T 0.1-0.2m) still apparently in original position at the W end of the tomb, resting on the sidestones and W closing stone. Two other probable capstone fragments lay at the E end of the tomb: a larger slab (L 1.6m) leaning against the N sidestone, and partly overlying another slab (L 1.35m) which leaned on the E end of the S sidestone’s top edge. There was another slab (L 1m; Wth 0.5m) within the tomb, the floor of which was strewn with small stones and was slightly lower than the ground level outside the tomb cairn. An inspection of the tomb in 1999 found it unaltered in the interim. See linked document with details from Ruaidhrí de Valera and Seán Ó Nualláin, Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume I. County Clare. Dublin: Stationery Office, 1961.