Wedge tomb in Coonane

On a dry grassy upland terrace, on the W side of the upper reaches of the Barony River valley with fine views to the SE and S along the valley to Glengarriff Harbour. The remains consist of a well-preserved gallery (L 4.2m; Wth 1.1m at W, narrowing only slightly to 0.95m at E), aligned NNE-SSW. In the following description the monument is described as if aligned E-W. The N and S sides are each formed by three stones and an inset backstone closes the E end. The entrance stones at the W end are exceptionally tall (S stone: H 1.75m; N stone: H 1.15m). A low, longitudinally set, jamb-like stone (H 0.35m) stands immediately S of the N entrance stone. The sides are neatly framed by close-set outer-walling, four stones to N and S. The chamber area appears to have been dug out and according to local tradition, the monument had been investigated in the early twentieth century in a search for 'treasure'. One roofstone (L 1.5m: Wth 1.2m; T > 0.1m) lies immediately W of the entrance and a second (L 2.5m; Wth 1.5m; T 0.15m) rests at an angle against a S sidestone at the E end of the gallery. Traces of a mound are evident curving about the E end of the gallery. There are a number of hut sites in the vicinity (CO090-010004- c. 60m to the NW and CO090-010010-; CO090-010003-; CO090-010005-; CO090-010011-; CO090-010002- located 200m; 230m; 250m; 260m and c. 300m to the SW, respectively). There is a standing stone (CO090-010009-) 200m to the SSW and enclosures (CO090-010008-; CO090-010006-) c. 100m and 188m to the SE and SW, respectively. Two other wedge tombs (CO091-013----; CO091-014003-) are across the valley c. 1.4km to the SE. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 5' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). Date of upload: 22 December 2009