Knockgrannie

On a sandy rise above the beach close to N shore of the island. This Nat. Mon. is a circular mound revetted by a drystone wall (D 21m, H >1.5m) and it is known locally as Cnoc Raithní (Robinson 1980). Traces of slab-lined graves protrude above S half of the flat top of the mound. The N half is occupied by a small rectangular kerbed platform (H 0.9m) surmounted by two small limestone pillars. Discovered in 1885 by shifting of sands, 'excavated' and 'restored' by the Board of Works (Clark 1969, xi). A cordoned urn, a smaller vessel, a bronze artifact and bone were recovered from a circular cist (D c. 1.5m, H c. 1.2m) in the body of the cairn (Murphy 1886). Other graves and pottery were also found but there is confusion as to their location and context. (Westropp 1895, 272; Daly 1975, 76-7; Waddell 1975, 17; Kavanagh 1976, 365, where wrongly provenanced) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. I - West Galway'. Compiled by Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1993). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Updated by: Olive Alcock Date of revised upload: 20 January 2016 This monument was taken into Ownership under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 - National Monument 41.

Neolithic passage tomb; dates to the early to middle Neolithic period (c. 3700–3000 BCE). Its construction and location reflect the significance of coastal landscapes in early Irish funerary and ritual practices.