Giants Grave in Lackcrom

This monument, quite overgrown by trees and bushes, lies 3.5km to the N of Donegal town. It stands at the southern end of a terrace of wettish pasture and is overlooked from the N by sharply rising ground 200m away; immediately beyond the field wall to the S of the remains there is a sharp drop. To the S is an extensive outlook including a view over the inner end of Donegal Bay. The rear chamber of a ruined gallery facing SSE survives here among the disturbed remains of a partly grass-grown cairn. The substantial mass of the disturbed cairn remains is as depicted on the plan. In overall extent it measures 20m N-S by 16m E-W. To the W of the gallery the cairn is as much as 1m high, but it is reduced to a low spread of stones at the E. There is, in addition, a considerable scatter of stones in the overgrowth around the site. The surviving portion of the gallery is almost 4m long. At the SSE a sillstone stands between a jamb to the W and what appears to be a fallen jamb to the E. Beyond the upright jamb are two sidestones, the southern one overlain by a corbel. Gallery closure was achieved by a slightly gabled backstone that now leans outward. The E side of the gallery is missing. The western jamb, which appears to have been inset in the gallery wall, is more or less flat on top. It is 1.1m high and rises 0.8m above the top of the sillstone. The latter stone is 0.2m in exposed height. The fallen jamb, if stood on end, would measure 0.85m by 0.5m by 1.5m high. The sidestone next to the intact jamb decreases in height from 0.4m at the front, where it is 0.5m lower than the top of the jamb, to just 0.05m at its inner end. The corbel above this, its outer end resting on the ground, measures 1.95m by 1m and is 0.25m thick. At the inner edge of this orthostat is a low stone, 0.35m high. This stone is not firmly set and may not be in situ. The northern sidestone, the inner end of which is concealed, is skewed inward so as to narrow the back of the gallery. It is 0.55m high. The backstone, set inside the end of this, leans outward at an angle of c. 45 degrees. It would stand 1m high if upright. Approximately 0.45m beyond the backstone there is a slab, 1.5m by 1.1m and 0.2m thick, laid flat on some small cairn stones. The neatness of the arrangement suggests that it may be a deliberate feature, although it cannot be regarded as part of the original structure. Just 1m NW of this is a small upright stone close to the cairn edge. This is quite firmly set and measures 0.55m by 0.25m by 0.5m high. It may be a kerbstone, but this cannot be confirmed, and it is not hatched on the plan. Approximately 0.6m E of the flat slab resting on cairn stones is a stone in an upright position. Partly concealed, it is 0.25m high, 0.2m thick and at least 0.9m long. Its status is unclear, but it may owe its upright position to the support of a tree root in which it is entangled. Some large slabs that lie prostrate in front of the gallery are shown on the plan. These are up to 1.6m in maximum dimension. Near the wall at the southern edge of the cairn are more displaced slabs. These, not shown on the plan, are up to 1.2m in maximum dimension. Thomas Fagan (1845-8) visited here in 1847 and noted that the structure had been largely destroyed. He has recorded a claim that human bones 'were dug up' during the attempted demolition of the monument. He also noted that another 'enclosed grave' had stood 30 yards (c. 27.5m) N of the tomb described here but that it had been destroyed. There is no visible trace of such a grave. Fagan 1845-8, book 14, 7; Ó Nualláin 1983a, 48, no. 170 (listed as an apparently natural feature owing to misidentification of the site); SMR 1987, 94:4; Ó Nualláin 1989, 117; RMP 1995, 94:4. The above description was published in the 'Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume VI, County Donegal.' Compiled by: Eamon Cody (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). Volume VI. County Donegal. (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002)