What is recorded here

Half a metre of chipped stone held two men who stopped breathing before written history began. Farmers pulled the boundary stones free in 1985, exposing a chamber small enough to fit inside a kitchen table. A burnt circle seven metres away suggests they fed those men to fire before placing them in the dark. The chamber now stands reconstructed in Newcastle West, forcing modern visitors to measure ancient death against their own bodies.

Discovered in 1985 during the removal of a field boundary. Inspection by National Museum staff revealed 'a prehistoric grave containing cremated human bones' (Kelly 1987). The walls, floor and roof of the grave were formed of small slabs, and 'overall it measured 50cm in maximum length, 40cm in maximum width and 35cm in depth' (ibid.). A preliminary examination of the bones suggested they were the remains of 'two adult males, one of whom may have been of advanced age' (ibid.). An area of burning (diam. 1.5m; D 1m), 7m SW of the grave, was probably 'the site of the funeral pyre' (ibid.; NMI) (LI043-008002-). The stones were removed and the cist was reconstructed in Newcastle West Community Centre. (Cahill and Sikora 2011, vol. 1, 281-6) An account of this monument has been published in: Cahill, M. & Sikora, M. (2011) Breaking ground, finding graves- reports on the excavations of burials by the National Museum of Ireland, 1927-2006. vol. 1, 281-286. Compiled by: Denis Power Date of upload: 16 August 2012

Cist in Rathcahill West is a prehistoric cist tomb, likely dating to the Bronze Age. Its significance lies in the presence of cremated human remains, indicating funerary practices associated with early burial traditions in the region.

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