Wedge tomb in Killoe

Deeply buried in rough boggy ground, this fairly well-preserved wedge-tomb is located on a small platform on the N side of the valley between Bentee and Aghatubrid mountains. It commands a wide outlook to W, over the basin of the Oghermong river to Valencia Island and the sea beyond. The field in which it is located is known locally as 'Gortaleaca'. It consists of a chamber, roofed with two slabs, with the remains of aportico at its W end. Faint traces of a mound are visible on its S side. The chamber measures at least 2.9m in overall length and is aligned ENE-WSW. A markedly inclined septal-stone and an orthostat representing the N side of the portico are exposed at its W end. Two orthostats, decreasing in height towards E, form the S side of the chamber, while a collapsed side-stone is partly visible at N. Resting on the septal-stone is the high-pitched W roof-stone; it is slightly displaced and its E end is concealed by an overgrowth of peat which also overlies the adjacent E roof-stone. The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 81. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. See linked document with details from Ruaidhrí de Valera and Seán Ó Nualláin, Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland. Volume IV. Counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary. (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1982) Date of upload: 28 July 2013

Wedge tomb, dating to the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age (circa 2500–1500 BCE). Its location and preservation offer insight into prehistoric funerary practices and landscape use in the region.