Slievemore : Wedge Tomb
Visit Notes
Sunday, 31st May 2009
Quite stupidly I had left my GPS on the car roof when I set off to reach this site. It's a 4 km walk from where I had parked, so I wasn't going to go back for it! So, the grid ref for this site is taken from the OS map (this site isn't marked).
I found two possible structures that could be the remains of a megalithic tomb here. One is an arrangement of orthostats that could be a much ruined gallery. The other looks like a very small, almost complete wedge tomb. Both sites stand amongst more modern (but still old) ruins of a small settlement. There is the shell of a house, a very fine dry-stone square clochan and a small structure that could be another tomb.
The site is very sheltered from the winds and is high above the storm beach of Annagh Strand and the land around it is fertile-looking. Reaching this site is not easy as it involves a long walk followed by a steep descent to reach it. Obviously, getting home again involves a steep climb followed by a long walk! There is a track halfway down the slope, which can make it easier to get out, but the climb back up to this is hard going. This path is like a stone staircase and must have been made by the people that used to bring cattle down to this area in the summer. Just below the site is Lough Nakeeroge, a beautiful lake that is separated from the sea by just a few metres. Sooner or later the sea will claim this lough for itself.
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A Random Selection of Nearby Monuments
4.7 Km (E) there is a Holy Well at Keel East.
5.8 Km (E) there is a Portal Tomb at Doogort West.
5.6 Km (E) there is a Court Tomb at Keel East.
6.3 Km (E) there is a Rath at Bal of Dookinelly.
A Selection of Other Wedge Tombs
 Ballynahown (Co. Clare) |  Parknabinnia (Co. Clare) |  Giant's Leap (Co. Cavan) |
 Cappaghbeha Mountain (Co. Clare) |  Knockshanbrittas (Co. Tipperary) |  Carrowmurray (Co. Sligo) |
About Coordinates Displayed
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This is an explanation of (and a bit of a disclaimer for) the coordinates I provide. Where a GPS figure is given this is the master for all other coordinates. According to my Garmin these are quite accurate. Where there is no GPS figure the 6 figure grid reference is master for the others. This may not be very accurate as it could have come from the OS maps and could have been read by eye. Consequently, all other cordinates are going to have inaccuracies. The calculation of Longitude and Latitude uses an algorithm that is not 100% accurate. The long/lat figures are used as a basis for calculating the UTM & ITM coordinates. Consequently, UTM & ITM coordinates are slightly out. UTM is a global coordinate system - Universal Transverse Mercator - that is at the core of the GPS system. ITM is the new coordinate system - Irish Transverse Mercator - that is more accurate and more GPS friendly than the Irish Grid Reference system. This will be used on the next generation of Irish OS maps. |
