Magheranaul Wedge Tomb

The monument stands on level ground toward the eastern end of Doagh Isle peninsula and c. 500m N of the western end of Trawbreaga Bay. To the N the ground rises gradually to Crockmore (282 feet OD), the highest point of the peninsula. The view to the S is limited by a range of hills, 3.5km distant. The tomb stands on pasture broken by occasional rock outcrops. The monument, aligned almost WNW-ESE, consists of a short wedge-shaped gallery, around the sides and back of which is outer-walling. The gallery is 2.8m long and narrows from 1.3m wide at the W to 0.95m at the E. There is also a slight decrease in gallery height toward the E. Single stones form the sides and back of the gallery, entry to which was blocked by a large slab, now leaning outward, at the W. An hour-glass perforation has been bored in the middle of this stone. A single roofstone covers the gallery. The outer-walling is linked to the southern end of the closing stone by a facade-stone. The space between the outer-walling and the gallery side at the N is around half that at the S. The structure stands in a more or less heel-shaped mound that is 6.7m long and narrows from 6.5m wide at the W to 4.5m near its E end. It is unclear whether a deposit of grass-grown earth on the roofstone is a remnant of the mound. The stone forming the N side of the gallery is 0.8m high, and that at the S is 0.7m high. The backstone, set between the ends of the sidestones, is 0.65m high. The outer faces of all three are hidden by the mound. The western closing stone would stand 0.85m high if upright. The sole facade-stone is 0.4m high. At the inner face of this is a low, largely hidden stone, 0.55m long and 0.1m thick. It may serve as a support to the facade-stone. Three outer-wall stones survive at the S. The westernmost is 0.5m high. The second has fallen outward and is almost prostrate. It is partly concealed but when in place would have measured at least 1.6m long and 0.4m high. It is 0.2m thick. The third outer-wall stone on this side, lm beyond the second, is 0.75m high. A loose stone, 1.2m by 0.4m, lies on the mound immediately N of this. Approximately 0.4m beyond the backstone of the gallery is a single outer-wall stone, now partly concealed by the mound. It is 0.2m in exposed height. Outer-walling at the N is represented by a single orthostat beyond the front half of the gallery. It is 0.5m in exposed height. A small set stone beside the W end of this is 0.3m long, 0.15m thick and 0.25m high and seems also to form part of the outer wall. The roofstone, from which a small piece has been detached at the SE, rests on the sidestones and backstone of the gallery. It is 2.8m long, 1.7m wide and up to 0.3m thick. Much of its southern edge is covered by the mound. The detached piece, which remains close to its original position, measures 0.7m by 0.6m. The hole in the middle of the western closing stone was formed by boring inward from overlapping positions on both faces to achieve a perforation c. 0.08m across in the thickness of the stone. At the outer face of the stone the opening measures 0.12m by 0.13m, and at the inner face it measures 0.15m by 0.2m. This seems to be an ancient feature, but whether it was formed by the builders of the tomb or at a later period is not known. Its position at the centre of the slab and on the main axis of the monument may indicate that it formed an integral part of the overall design. Alternatively, it may be related to the numerous local instances of rock art (Lacy 1983, 99, nos. 656, 657, 658; Van Hoek and Van Hoek 1984; Van Hoek 1987). Colhoun 1949, 112 (fig. 2b), 114, 116; Killanin and Duignan 1962, 87; Killanin and Duignan 1967, 98; Ó Nualláin 1983a, 43, no. 1ll; SMR 1987, 4:41; Killanin and Duignan 1989, 63; Ó Nualláin 1989, 136; Colhoun 1995, 13-14 (plan); RMP 1995, 4:41. The above description was published in the 'Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume VI, County Donegal.' Compiled by: Eamon Cody (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). Date of upload: 22 September 2008 See linked document with details from Eamon Cody, Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume VI. County Donegal. (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002)