GLENDRUID PORTAL TOMB |
PHOTO by Pip POWELL 2008 |
This fabulous portal tomb, which is also known as the "Glendruid Dolmen", is located in a small steep sided valley, surrounded by a wooded copse, 20m north of a head water of the Loughlinstown River and is marked on the OSI map as "Dolmen" and on the historic map as "Cromlech". The giant capstone which is over 5m in length, 4m in width, 1.5m in depth and an estimated weight of 40 metric tons, rests on two portal stones approx; 1.5m in height and two large side slabs. The entrance of the tomb, with an intact door stone, unusually faces west. Unusual because most portal tombs are orientated to an easterly direction. The rear of the capstone has a curious V - shaped groove that stretches right across the upper surface and the peculiarly small chamber is 0.7m below the surrounding ground level. There is some evidence of a cairn or mound at the rear of the tomb near the back-stone but the majority of it seems to have been eroded away. Traces of iron ore can be seen running down the face of the granite capstone. |
CO-ORDINATES 53 15’ 13.765”N…6 9’ 31.594”W |