Site Type: Passage Tomb
Irish Grid Ref: V9724122093
Location: Link to Bing Maps
Description:
The passage tomb is described on Archaeology.ie as follows;
"On summit of hill dominating N section of Clear Island. Chamber, open to NE, at centre of low cairn (diam. c. 15m). Five orthostats in line with N side of chamber, and a transversely set stone at exposed cairn edge may represent remains of passage. Stone, decorated with passage-tomb art (CO153-008---), found c. 1880 in townland of Croha West c. 1km to SW. (O'Leary 1989, 124-6) (O Nuallain 1989, 127)".
This passage tomb is the most southerly in Ireland and one of the least well known. A stone with some amazing rock-art was found in the vicinity of this tomb and is thought to have been part of the passage tomb. This stone is now in Cork City Museum (See a picture of it here). The tomb is in a very ruinous state and it was not until 1989 that it was rediscovered by local man Paddy O'Leary. Jack Roberts, who has studied the stone circles of Cork and Kerry for over 30 years, believes that the passage tomb is likely to be aligned to the summer solstice sunrise and in his book The Sun Circles of Ireland has some pictures of the sun rising over Carrigfadda on the mainland. Unfortunately I have been unable to even find pictures of the tomb on the internet to date.
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