Standing stone in Málainn Mhóir

Norman Moore (1872, 521) drew attention to several piles of stones that lay to the W of the portal tomb complex (Dg. 91) in this townland. These, he suggested, were originally 'of the nature of the cromlechs'. One of the piles was identified by a tall stone. Borlase (1897, 245) noted two heaps of stones here, each with an upright stone at its centre, and suggested that they resembled cairns, often of 'Christian date', to which pilgrims added stones. The heap of stones with the tall stone rising above it noted by Moore is still extant. This stone, 1.9m high, forms the northern half of the W side of a rectangular cist measuring, internally, 1.3m N-S by 0.7m E-W. A single stone, 0.6m high, forms the E side, and there are single stones at either end, the northern one 0.65m high and the southern one c. 0.3m high. Adjacent to the SE corner of this cist are the remains of what appears to have been a second cist, the axis of which lies NNW-SSE. Only two stones of this remain. A single leaning stone, 0.75m high if upright, forms the southern end, and another, 0.45m high, forms the western side. Just E of this are two low set stones, both of uncertain function. The two adjoining cists stand toward the southern end of a heap of stones, at least some of which were gathered from the fields, measuring c. 14m NNW-SSE by 4.3m in greatest width and reaching c. 1m in maximum height. The monument stands on ground falling to the N amid pasture broken by outcropping rock and scattered stones. N. Moore 1872, 521; Borlase 1897, 245, under Banaghnos. 3-8; Herity 1990, 51, no.44; SMR 1987, 89:7; RMP 1995, 89:7. 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