Giants Grave in Milltown

This feature, named as ‘Giant’s Grave’ on the 1840 edition OS 6-inch map, stood on a gentle SW-facing slope, in improved pasture with reasonable views of the surrounding landscape. The surface of this field is uneven and gently undulating suggesting that there is limestone rock outcrop close to the surface. Named ‘Giant’s Grave (site of)’ and no longer depicted on the 25-inch OS map. The monument not seen by Westropp (1902, 113), but he suggests a dark patch of grass in a small depression may mark the site. According to Curry in 1839 (OSL, vol. 2, 159 and 285) the monument was ‘in the form of an ordinary grave (coffin) measuring 19 feet six inches in length and 4 feet 5 inches in breadth at the foot and 6 feet four inches at the head, the thickness in the stones all round being included in the measurement. This was enclosed by a number of large stones placed at a few feet distance, and following the form of the grave’. On inspection in 2017 there were no visible remains of any such features at ground level. An enclosure (CL035-013001-), a megalithic structure (CL035-013002-) and a standing stone (CL035-013003-) are c. 55m to the NW. (de Valera and Ó Nualláin 1961, 92, no. 4) Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Alison McQueen Date of upload: 8 November 2017