Site Type: Passage Tomb
Irish Grid Ref: N5719677406
Location: Link to Bing Maps
Description:
The passage tomb is described on Archaeology.ie as follows;
"Excavated by Conwell in 1865, this kerbed cairn, 41m in diam., contains a corbel-roofed eight-celled passage-tomb, opening to SE. The dry-walled entry leading to the passage is part of the modern restoration of the monument. A basin survives in two opposing cells to N and S of the main chamber. There are sixteen decorated orthostats. (Herity 1974, 237-9; Shee Twohig 1981, 211-13; Moore 1987, 19, no. 64)"
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| Pic of standing stone within the chamber |
Cairn L is one of very few passage tombs that has a standing stone within the chamber. Archaeology.ie make no reference to the standing stone in their description for some reason.
Martin Brennan and his team are credited with identifying this alignment during their research in the early 1980s. It is thought that on the morning of the November / February cross-quarter day the suns rays illuminate the chamber and strike the standing stone within.
Here is a link to Victor Reijs video of Cairn L Cross Quarter Sun-rise - Victor also runs a great website dedicated to archaeoastronomy called "There is more between heaven and earth".
Archaeology.ie also provides links to two plans of cairn L.
Plan of Cairn L (1)
Plan of Cairn L (2)
There is also a link to paper by Dr Frank Prendergast who has completed a full archaeoastronomical survey of the tomb. Dr Prendergast unfortunately disagrees that the alignment is significant and he points out that the sun is able to enter the tomb for a period of up to 5 weeks. He also argues that there is no evidence that the cross quarter day was of significance during the Neolithic when it was constructed.
Tomb L - Carnbane West, Loughcrew Hills, Co. Meath - an archaeoastronomical assessment
Links to photographs;
Cairn L from www.knowth.com
Links for further information;
More info on Cairn L on Martin Byrne's website www.carrowkeel.com
