Wedge tomb in Gortlecka

Within a thicket of trees and bushes on an improved pasture shelf overlooking lower ground c. 45m to the SE which is liable to flood from Coolreash Lough to the N. Indicated and labelled ‘Cromlech’ on the both the first (1842) and later, Cassini edition (1920) of the OS 6-inch map. Westropp (1905, 212) noted that this wedge tomb was still inhabited into then-recent times, ‘forming the bedroom of a small cabin’. Described by de Valera and Ó Nualláin (1961, 49) as a well-preserved but overgrown trapezoidal wedge tomb (L 2.4m; Wth 1.45m at SW, narrowing to 1.2m at NE; H 1.6m at SW, sloping to 1.2m at NE) embedded in the centre of an oval mound (c. 11m NE-SW; 8m NW-SE; max. H c. 1m) on which lay many stones, perhaps including some from field clearance. Trees and bushes grew on and around the mound, and its SE part was obscured by a later small stone enclosure. The tomb chamber was orientated NE-SW, with a single slab on each side. Both sidestones leaned slightly inward and bore traces of dressing on their top edges, which sloped from SW to NE and were longer at their protruding top edges than at their base (NW sidestone L 3.05m at top, 2.3m at base; max. H c. 1.4m; T 0.1-0.2m; SE sidestone surviving L 1.45m at base; max. H c. 1.16m; T 0.15-0.2m), although the SW end of the SE sidestone appeared to have been broken relatively recently. Westropp (op. cit.) observed that the inner faces of these sidestones had been ‘picked to a smooth surface which I hardly ever noted elsewhere, even to a much lesser degree.’ The fine rectangular NE backstone (H 1.15m; L 1.1m; T 0.15m) also leaned inward slightly, and seemingly had dressed top and side edges. There was a gap (0.12m) between the backstone and the lower parts of each sidestone (0.12m from NW sidestone; 0.3m from SE sidestone). A large displaced slab (H 1.85m; Wth 0.75m; T 0.1-0.2m) leaned against the SW end of the NW sidestone, partly closing the SW end of the chamber. The roofstone (L 3.25m; Wth 2m at SW, narrowing to 1.4m at NE; T 0.15m) completely covered the chamber, resting on the sidestones and the NE backstone. Westropp (op. cit.) described ‘curious “footmarks” and other depressions’ on this roofstone. A later wall extended SW from the SW corner of the tomb chamber. Inspections in 1999 and 2007 found the tomb to be unaltered in the interim, apart from a thickening of overgrowth. In 2007, a path to the tomb from the SE was created. 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) See attached images: • CL010-110----_01.JPG Snip of Westropp’s plan and elevation (1905, 218). • CL010-110----_02.JPG View of tomb from SE. • CL010-110----_03.JPG Interior of tomb chamber viewed from SE. • CL010-110----_04.JPG View of approach to tomb from SE. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 26 May 2023