Megalithic tomb - wedge tomb, Kealanine By.), Co. Cork

Co. Cork |

Megalithic Tombs

Megalithic tomb – wedge tomb, Kealanine By.), Co. Cork

On a north-facing shoulder of a rocky ridge in Kealanine, County Cork, a small megalithic structure sits quietly absorbed into the working landscape around it.

Its western end has been drawn into a field fence at some point, the ancient stonework pressed into service as a boundary marker, which is the kind of quiet indignity these monuments sometimes suffer and somehow survive.

The tomb is a wedge tomb, a type of megalithic monument built during the later Neolithic and into the Bronze Age, typically characterised by a gallery that narrows and lowers from one end to the other. This one follows that pattern faithfully. Aligned east to west, it measures 3.7 metres in length, with a width of 1.1 metres at its broader eastern end. Three upright stones form each of the north and south sides, and the slabs decrease in height as they move westward, giving the structure its distinctive wedge profile. A backstone closes the eastern end, and two roof stones still cover the gallery. There is no surviving evidence of an enclosing mound, which may have eroded away or may never have been substantial here. Seán Ó Nualláin, whose 1989 survey of Irish wedge tombs remains a foundational reference, recorded this monument and included it among the considerable concentration of such structures found across Cork and Kerry.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Megalithic tomb – wedge tomb, Kealanine By.), Co. Cork. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement