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Druids Altar — Cleggan

Court tomb

Why this matters

Portal dolmen; likely dates to the Neolithic or early Bronze Age. Its alignment and structural features suggest ritual or ceremonial use, typical of megalithic traditions in western Ireland.

What is recorded here

On N shore of Cleggan Bay. The remains of this tomb consist of a gallery aligned ESE-WNW. The front, E portion appears incomplete. The orthostats running E of the pair of transversely set jambs could be interpreted as chamber sidestones or as defining a narrow asymmetrical court. The gallery to W of these is divided into two chambers by a septal stone and jamb. The innermost W chamber is distinctly narrower and of lighter construction than the rest of the monument. A large roofstone covers the adjoining E chamber and a long stone, probably a displaced lintel, lies in this chamber immediately W of the jambs. The remains of the mound survive on S side of the monument. (de Valera and Ó Nualláin 1972, 5-7) 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). Date of upload: 05 August 2010 See linked document with details from Ruaidhrí de Valera and Seán Ó Nualláin, Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume III. Counties Galway, Roscommon, Leitrim, Longford, Westmeath, Laoighis, Offaly, Kildare, Cavan. (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1972).
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