| Murnells - Cairn |
One of the reasons I had slowed down a bit last year was because I thought I'd seen all the good portal tombs. Well, I was wrong. This is a beauty. I really can't understand why it's not better known.
The tomb is almost perfect. The main capstone has been shifted slightly, but still perches on the portal stones with proportionally the largest overhang I've ever seen. The rear of the main capstone rests on a secondary capstone, which in turn rests on a small chocking stone. This actually gives the impression that it has three capstones. The larger capstone has a deep natural cupmark at its apex.
The walls of the chamber and the protal stones are of a reddish, quartz ridden stone. The two capstones are a grey stone, presumably granite. The surrounding peat reaches halfway up the sides of the chamber and several other stones, presumably from the kerb can be seen poking through. To one side of the chamber there is a group of stones that could be a subsidary chamber abutting the south wall.
The entrance has no doorstone and faces very slightly south of east. This slight deviation in alignment seems to make the axis point towards the V formed where the hill at Copney crosses in front of Laght Hill 2km beyond.
Click Thumbnail to View Full Size Image
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_All Sites Visited On 8th January 2006 « Previous Site Next Site »
A Random Selection of Nearby Monuments
 Rathkenny (Co. Meath) |  Leagaun (Co. Galway) |  Doogort West (Co. Mayo) |
 New Baun (Co. Wexford) |  Aughadanove (Co. Armagh) |  Knockeen (Co. Waterford) |
