Wedge tomb in Commons North

On the E-facing slope of a low ridge of exposed karst and rough pasture. Not recorded on OS mapping. Indicated on Robinson’s map of the Burren (1977). Described by de Valera and Ó Nualláin (1961, 48) as a very poorly preserved wedge tomb almost entirely surrounded by an irregular mound (7.5m NE-SW; 5m NW-SE; max. H 1.25m), itself enclosed within an area (L 10m; Wth 8m) defined by the traces of a low bank – possibly the remains of a wall. The only upstanding element of the tomb chamber was its large, S sidestone (L 3m; H 1m; T 0.1m), orientated SW-NE. The SW part (L 1.75m) of the slab’s top edge was broken while the remaining E portion appeared to be dressed, and sloped from W to E. There was a natural hole in the upper centre of the sidestone (also noted by Westropp; 1905, 217). Set 0.7m to the S of this sidestone’s SW end was a smaller slab (L 0.55m; H 0.25m; T 0.1m) which may be part of the tomb’s outer-walling. A large, flat-lying slab (L 2.5m; Wth 1.7m; T 0.15-0.25m) to the N of the sidestone was thought by de Valera and Ó Nualláin (op. cit.) to be a displaced roofstone, although Westropp (op. cit.) viewed this as the tomb’s N sidestone. Under this prostrate slab was the edge of another slab (L 0.85m; T 0.1m). An inspection of the tomb in 1999 found it to be unaltered in the interim. See linked document with details from Ruaidhrí de Valera and Seán Ó Nualláin, Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume I. County Clare. (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1961). Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 26 May 2023