An Dumhaigh Megalithic Tomb — Dooey Point

This monument, which is not shown on any edition of the OS 6-inch map, is on poor pasture broken by outcropping rock near Dooey Point, which is around midway along the W coast of County Donegal. From the site the ground falls gently toward Trawenagh Bay, itself an inlet of Gweebarra Bay, c. 400m to the N. The outlook to the S is limited by rising ground. The remains are scant and difficult to interpret. Two tall opposed stones at the W seem to mark the entrance to a chamber, the only other certain surviving stone of which is a sidestone leaning against the outer face of the northern entrance stone. On the line of the S side of the chamber and 1.7m E of the sidestone is another set stone, but it is not clear whether it represents a continuation of the structure. There is a partly concealed stone S of and at right angles to the E end of this and another 3m N of it, neither of which is definitely a set stone. There is another largely concealed stone just S of the entrance to the chamber, which measures at least 0.35m in maximum dimension. The two opposed stones at the W are 0.4m apart at ground level. That at the S is 1.4m high, and that at the N, which leans against it, would stand 1.4m high if upright. The base of the sidestone at the N is 0.4m E of and slightly outside the line of this. It leans to the S, and a prow-like extension of its outer end rests against the outer face of the northern entrance stone. If upright it would stand 1m high at its W end. Toward the E it slopes to ground level. The set stone at the E, which presents a flat face to the N, is 0.6m high. The partly concealed stone at right angles to it measures 1.05m by c. 0.6m and is 0.3m high at its exposed E face. The partly concealed stone 3m N of the orthostat here measures 0.8m by over 0.7m and rises 0.3m above ground level. The poor preservation of the monument leaves some uncertainty about its original form, but clearly its affinities lie with court tombs and portal tombs. The presence of what appear to be two tall longitudinally set entrance stones, one of them supporting a leaning sidestone, would favour its identification as a portal tomb, but, if the orthostat at the E end of the structure can be relied on, it would suggest that there may have been a long gallery here. The monument has been tentatively classified as a court tomb (Ó Nualláin 1983a) but in its present state is best left unclassified. Approximately 6m N of the tomb is a feature (not on plan) consisting of three low set stones. They stand beside each other with their long axes parallel, and each is aligned E-W. The middle one is set partly forward, to the W, of the other two, both of which lean against it. The stones are 0.45-0.6m long, 0.1-0.2m thick and 0.45-0.7m high. The nature and age of this arrangement are not known. Ó Nualláin 1983a, 20, no. 20; SMR 1987, 65:1; Ó Nualláin 1989, 142; RMP 1995, 65:1. 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)