Burial mound in Grange Upper

Unlocated megalithic tomb within townland described by Helen Roe in her report on the Rude Stone Monuments in County Laoighis as a 'Monument of the Dolmen class in the townland of Grange located in a field known as the Clash Field, Borlase described this dolmen located in the 'Clais' or pool that is near Keegan's House at Grange one quarter of a mile Loughakoe. The slab lies in a round deep pool and is visible only when water is very low (Roe, pp. 7-8). Described by Daniel Byrne in 1851 as 'a farmer Mr. Richard Lawler, in a large field of his called the Clash Field, in the townland of Grange, about two miles west from Stradbally, on the 7th of October 1849. The sepulchre lay beneath the surface about two feet in sandy earth; it was formed by surface limestones of nearly flag form. The stones were set on their edges, and covered over by smaller stones. That part answering to the heel of a shoe was made by small stones, set one over the other. The sepulchre contained ashes, oak charcoal in small portions and bones. A great quantity of ashes of oak-wood, and animal matter, lay in the chamber, but the remains of bones were very few. The fire appeared to have been very great, as the stones of the sepulchre towards the south were crusted with lime. The circular part of the tomb was about nine feet in circumference, making a diameter of about three feet. The entire length of the sepulchre was twenty-one feet; its breadth varied from one foot and a half to two feet; its depth was from one foot and a half to two feet' (JRSAI 1849-51, vol. 1, 139). Unlocated cist within the townland mentioned by Helen Roe in her report on the Rude Stone Monuments in County Laoighis. In this report she states that a stone grave was found by a grandfather of the present Keegan's in a field near the Rath known as the Hollow Field. In making a laneway he found a stone lined passage like a shore in which he found some possible artefacts (Roe, p. 8). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 17 December 2007