The field is dead at this time of year and so are the few trees that grow from this once mighty tomb, allowing a fairly unobstructed view of the tomb. Sitting in this field the tomb seems to sleep, decaying and sad. The enormous capstone has slipped from the chamber and very much reminds me of the one at Onagh (County Dublin).
The chamber walls are in much worse condition than Onagh and it is hard to tell if one of them is just smashed or once had a quarter hole in its one edge. One portal stone remains ... defiant against all the elments and, seemingly, all the odds.
The lady who lives in the nearby bungalow was delightful, greeting me before I'd even said good evening. She says lots of people visit the tomb and it is never a problem. I liked her.
From Arklow take the N11 north and then take the 5th right turn (12km). At the next t-junction turn right. After just 120m you will see a bungalow on the left. Park here and enter the field behind through the nearby gate.
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. |