Portal tomb in Ballynasilloge

Situated some 2.5km NE of the town of Borris, on the W side of the valley of the Glasheroge Stream which flows in a SW direction to join the Mountain River, a tributary of the River Barrow. The land in the immediate vicinity comprises rough pasture with considerable amounts of outcropping rock and there is a dense growth of furze and bushes. An ash tree grows beside the structure at the SE. Much of the adjoining land has been reclaimed in modern times and now provides good tillage and pasture. The tomb stands on the SE side of a low hill overlooking the valley of the Glasheroge Stream and the Blackstairs Mountains form the skyline to the SE. The monument was named ‘Banshee Stone’ on both the OS Fair Plan and first and 2nd eds of the OS 6-inch map (1839, 1873). The name was positioned incorrectly on the third edition of the published OS 6-inch map (1908) and shown some 40m E of its true location. It would appear that the reviser associated the name with a natural granite erratic, 2m by 2m by 1.3m, which stands at this location. The tomb, though partially collapsed, is fairly well preserved. The structure consists of two portal-stones and a door-stone marking the entrance at the E, a probable displaced N sidestone and a large roofstone which has slipped to the S off the portal-stones and rests on the door-stone and against the S portal. There is no evidence for a S sidestone or backstone. Two stones set in advance of the N portal-stone appear to indicate some form of elaboration of entrance. There is no evidence of a mound or cairn surrounding the structure and the area is littered with numerous stones. The entrance at the E is between two well-matched portal-stones (N portal-stone L 0.7m; T 0.15m; H 1.05m; S portal-stone L 0.8m; T 0.16m; H 1.2-1.4m when erect) standing 0.9m apart. The top of the N portal-stone appears to be broken near the E edge. The S portal-stone leans to the S and its base may be displaced slightly. It has a pointed top and is positioned so that the longer edge slopes downwards to the W. The door-stone (L 0.75m; T 0.17m; H 1.3m when erect) is positioned between the inner W edges of the portal-stones and leans to the S. It has a flattish top and would have been about the same height as the portal-stones. A narrow packing stone (L 0.4m; T 0.1m; H 0.25m) is exposed between the N end of the door-stone and the S face of the N portal-stone. A large slab (dims. 1.15m x 0.8m; T 0.2m) lies beneath the roofstone beside the N portal-stone and it is probably a displaced sidestone that has collapsed inwards. There is no corresponding S sidestone although the edges of two slabs or stones (W stone L 0.6m; H 0.25m; E stone L at least 0.85m; H over 0.3m) are exposed under roofstone on this side. It is possible that these are the exposed edges of outcropping bedrock. A slab (not on plan) (dims. 1.1m x 0.75m; T 0.35m) lies to the S of the S portal-stone. Its relationship to the structure is unclear. Some 55cm NE of the N portal-stone and set in line with it is a low upright slab (L 0.8m; T 0.1m; H 0.35m when erect) which leans slightly to the N. A second slab (L 0.7m; T 0.15m; H 0.65m when erect), resting against and partly overlapping it to the W, fills the gab between it and the portal-stone. Its base is embedded in the ground but it cannot be taken as certainly in situ and it may not be a set stone. In height it is about 0.2m above its neighbour to the E. These stones appear to represent some form of additional entrance feature on this side. The roofstone has slipped to the W and now lies tilted at an angle. It rests on the ground at the W and on the doorstone and S portal-stone at the E. It is a large slab (max. L 3.7m along its longer N side; Wth c. 2m; T 0.35m). The W end tapers to a point at the N and it has a rounded edge at the E end where it would have rested on the portals. The underside of the roofstone at the E is stepped back some 0.5m where a section appears to have split off from it. The monument, though partly ruined, is clearly the remains of a portal-tomb. The stone setting in advance of the N portal-stone is an unusual feature and may represent some court-like elaboration of the entrance area. A comparable arrangement occurs at a small number of other sites; e.g. Kernanstown (CW007-010----), Harristown / Kilmogue (KK035-044----) and Glaskenny/Onagh (WI007-033----). Given the ruined condition of the monument it is not possible to determine the dimensions of the chamber. Preservation Order number: 7/1976. See attached plan and photographs: CW022-010001-_01 from SE CW022-010001-_02 from E CW022-010001-_03 from SW Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 27 November 2018 This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 7/1976).