Carn, Dolmen

On low ridge in gently rolling pasture; named 'Acuthoge' on 1842 and 1905 OS 6-inch maps. Remains comprise large subcircular cairn (diam. c. 36m; max. H c. 1.5m) (CO024-056001-) with central chamber. Cairn was opened c. 1838 and its material quarried leaving hollowed out area in centre; cairn was then 5-6m in height. Exposed within hollow is open chamber (L 2.2m; Wth 1.5m; H 1.7m at W end, 1.4m at E end), aligned E-W, represented by single N and S sidestones with inset E backstone, and covered by single roofstone. Chamber decreases in height from W to E. Various traditions of objects and bones found with chamber but none are reliable. Structure is similar to wedge tomb but large covering mound is not typical of such monuments and could be secondary feature. (de Valera and Ó Nualláin 1982, 1, no. 1) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009 See linked document with details from Ruaidhrí de Valera and Seán Ó Nualláin, Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume IV. Counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary. (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1982)

Portal dolmen; dates to the Neolithic period. Its central chamber and large subcircular cairn indicate its function as a communal burial and ceremonial site, typical of early megalithic traditions in Ireland.