Gilbertstown Portal Tomb

This monument stands on a level patch of ground 150m E of the Oily River, which reaches the sea at McSwyne's Bay, just over 3km to the S. Rising ground closeby restricts the outlook from the site except to the N and NW along the river valley. The land in the immediate vicinity is wet and rush grown, and rock outcrops occur closeby. This is a partly collapsed small chamber that was at least 2m long. It faces SE toward rising ground. The surface of the chamber area seems to have been dug at some period. Three orthostats survive in situ. Two of these, a sidestone and a portal-stone to its SE, form the northern side of the chamber. The sidestone leans against and overlaps the portal-stone. A set stone at right angles to the inner end of the portal-stone seems to be a sillstone. The greater part of the structure is overlain by a great roof stone. The northern edge of this rests on top of the extant sidestone, and it slopes down almost to ground level at the southern side to rest on the outer ends of two displaced slabs. One of the displaced slabs rests on the sillstone, and the other is beside it to the SE. Their original function is not now clear. The portal-stone rises from 0.5m high at the front to 0.9m at the back. The appearance of the top of this stone suggests that a piece has been broken from it. The sidestone rises 0.45m above the top of the portal-stone. The sillstone measures 0.8m long and 0.15m thick and is exposed to a depth of 0.15m. The displaced slab resting on it measures 1.3m by 0.9m by 0.15m thick. The other displaced slab measures 1.5m by 0.7m by 0.2m thick. The displaced roof stone is 3.7m in overall length, 2m in greatest width and 0.3-0.5m thick. H. Morris 1947, 41, no. B6; Crozier 1957, 70; P.J. McGill 1968, 21 ('Gilberstown'); Ó Nualláin 1983a, 30, no. 54; Ó Nualláin 1983b, 95, Donegal no. 24; SMR 1987, 92:6; Ó Nualláin 1989, 124; RMP 1995, 92:6. 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)