This is not 'The Burren' that you will possibly have heard of which is in County Clare. Burren is actually a fairly comon place name meaning 'stoney place'. This is a stoney place! with outcrops of rock erupting through the valley walls and floor everywhere.
Nestled away in the pine trees this must be one of the least visited tombs in this area. It is well away from the signed walking route that the other tombs are on.
Much of the cairn remains with the front of the tomb protruding outwards, covered in ferns. The wall slabs seem to be single but as only the portico is visible it is hard to say.
This is a delightful place to find and sit for a while with the sun shining down through the branches, dappling the floor around you. There aren't many places better than this sylvian glade for relaxing with a good book.
The cairn rises to possibly 3m in height and is maybe 9m across at its widest point.
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_All Sites Visited On 6th April 2002 « Previous Site Next Site »
It is now a lot easier to find this site than it was on my previous visit. Throughout the managed woodland that covers Burren townland there are now signposted routes to many, many monuments. The paths aren't all that ankle friendly, though. This is limestone pavement country and many of the paths cross rocky ground, which was very slippery today.
When I first visited this site I put it down as a wedge tomb, but it is a portal tomb. This has some interesting implications, because the capstone is covered with some stones that were presumably from the cairn that once covered it. This would make it the only portal tomb known to have definitely covered by a cairn! How many of the others were? I must say that I am uncertain about the official classification of this one, but I can see why it was made.
The rectangular chamber is rather small - just 1.5m square. This is preceeded by two triangular 'portal stones'. The roof of the chamber is formed by two slabs, one on top of the other. Two roofstones in a portal tomb would not be unusual, but it is more reminiscient of the wedge tomb at Baur South (County Clare) in my view.
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_All Sites Visited On 17th March 2007 « Previous Site Next Site »
The path to this site is getting quite well-worn. This makes it easier to follow, but has also added some patches that are very boggy and difficult to get by.
The condition of this monument, sitting in its little clearing, still makes it a treat to visit.
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_All Sites Visited On 29th June 2008 « Previous Site Next Site »
| Tom Fairley from Dromore Down |   |
| John Willmott (Celtic Ways) from Keash, Co. Sligo | |
A Random Selection of Nearby Monuments
 Springfield (Co. Sligo) |  Menlough (Co. Galway) |  Kilgraney (Co. Carlow) |
 Legananny (Co. Down) |  Crevolea (Co. Derry) |  Claggan (Co. Donegal) |
