Cladh na Leac — Ballynagallagh

Ancient roadway associated with the Oenach of Clochair held on the shore Lough Derg that is mentioned in the poem of Guaire Dall translated from the 12th century Book of Leinster. In 1919 Lynch recorded that he ‘traced the great northern road to Labbynamucky (Leaba na muice) [LI032-046----]’ (Lynch 1919, 75). A trackway running roughly NNE-SSW is depicted on the 1927 ed. OS 6-inch map where it is annotated as 'Cladh na Leac'. This ancient roadway is visible as a linear feature on various Ordnance Survey aerial photographs. The site of a standing stone (LI032-041003-) stood on the E side of the roadway and is annotated as 'Pillar (site of)' on the 1927 ed. OS 6-inch map. A second site known as 'The Heroes Grave' (LI032-041002-) is also annotated on the 1927 map. A megalithic tomb known as 'Leaba-na-muice' (LI032-046----) lies 315m to NNE, the church (LI032-043002-) and graveyard (LI032-043003-) of Mainister na Galliagh (Monastery of the Nun's) lies 190m to E, a megalithic structure annotated as a 'Giant's Grave' (LI032-045001-) stands 210m to S. This ancient roadway was described in 1944 as following; 'It runs north and south on the west side of the lake, and consists of a sunken way marked on each side by low fences on which are placed boulders at intervals. Its northern end fades out when it enters a large field near the NW corner of the lake. Its south end fades out just beyond the tumulus called the Hero's Grave [LI032-041002-]' (O'Kelly 1944, 25). Today this section of the ancient roadway is visible as a shallow hollow way (L c. 165m) running across the fields in a NNE-SSW direction. The flanking banks on either side of the roadway have been much degraded and are now visible as a low rise of ground on either side of the sunken road. Compiled by: Caimin O’Brien Date of upload: 5 July 2018