| Baurnadomeeny - Standing Stone |
I cannot really find the right words to express my feelings when I saw this one. I was like a big kid with a new toy. This has to be the most intact wedge tomb that I have ever seen. Why isn't this more widely known?
The 9m diameter kerb is complete and consists of stones around 30cm high, except for one on the north which is double that. All the roof stones, complete with some cairn material, above the 4m long gallery are still present, as is the back stone. This, however, is low enough to leave a small gap through which you can enter the gallery.
Oddly it is aligned north-south, which is usually a feature of court tombs and may have something to do with its proximity to Shanballyedmond (County Tipperary). At the south end (the front) is an almost perfect portico or ante-chamber. This is 1.3m deep and 1.7m wide and covered by two slabs (one of which is broken). The rear one is supported in the middle by a single monolith in the centre and the front one rests on one of the facade stones. This chamber is further segmented by a low slab running from the monolith to the facade.
Whenever I'm close to this one I will definitely go back and I recommend, no I insist, that anyonethat heads down to this area goes to see it too.
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_All Sites Visited On 10th November 2002 « Previous Site Next Site »
I was rather hoping that somebody may have come along since my last visit and cleared the site up a bit, but they haven't. The trees in front of the entrance and portico really need to be removed.
I had mainly come back here to check out the carvings inside the portico, which I had forgotten about when I was last here. These carvings are unique on a wedge tomb and so are very important. Why more isn't done to keep this monument in good order is beyond me - it is signposted as part of the Silvermine Mountain Trail afterall.
The carving is just visible on the lefthand side stone of the portico as you look into it. They are extremely faint, but you can just make out the checkerboard or ladder pattern beneath the lichen. The stone is very soft and a serious thump would probably see it peel away.
The gallery is aligned ENE-WSW with the entrance at the west end. It has been built where it is because the alignment of the gallery point straight at the western summit of Mother Mountain (Mauherslieve), which overlooks the site.
Whilst climbing inside through the rear of the tomb I noticed an unusual groove on the underside of the rearmost capstone. This is about 10cm wide and at an angle to the axis of the gallery. In fact it is cut to align east-west and points at the point where the steep slopes of Mother Mountain level out onto its low foothills. An equinox sunrise visit may be in order here!
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_All Sites Visited On 31st December 2004 « Previous Site Next Site »
| Iris Van Dessel from Lier, Belgium |  |
A Random Selection of Nearby Monuments
 Craughaun Cemetery (Co. Clare) |  Kilmackowen (Co. Cork) |  Cloonyconry More (Co. Clare) |
 Ballyganner South (Co. Clare) |  Island (Co. Cork) |  Ballynahown (Co. Clare) |
