Location – Near Galbally in South Limerick and can be easily reached from either the R663 or the R662. This monument is open to the public although it is a little bit of a climb but not too bad. Best to bring your OS map or follow the GPS co-ordinates. There is a small car-park and hand-painted sign to it. Once you get onto the track, just keep going straight. You will cross a small track for forestry vehicles but just keep going up. Eventually you will get to a turning to the right which will take you to the nearby cairn but if you keep going you will cross the top of the hill and see the tomb to your left.
OS: R 779 284 (map 73)
Longitude: 8° 19' 27.02" W
Latitude: 52° 24' 24.35" N
GPS: R 77941 28399 (Accuracy – 5m)
See map at the bottom of the page.
Description and History – This tomb is spectacular and is well worth the climb which, although not too far, is up all the way with no reprieve so it takes the wind out of you. You approach the tomb from behind it and it looks like a mess but when you get to the front you realise how intact it actually is. The covering cairn is now missing but about 75% of the main passage still has capstones and you can get right inside the main chamber although of you are tall like me you will have to stoop. There are also two side chambers which are a little hard to spot. The first still has a capstone but is too small to get inside and the second is partially buried with no capstone. There are also many stone that would have been part of a facade. I imagine it was quite a sight when it was complete. It is aligned N-S which suggests that it doesn’t have any particular special solar or lunar alignment.
Difficulty – It is a little tricky to find the carpark but easy to find the tomb once you get onto the path. It is an upward climb but not too bad really. There are benches on the way up so you can stop when you want.
For more Neolithic tombs, click here.
For more in Co. Limerick, click here.
As seen from the direction you approach from.
Looking at the front of the tomb.
With me sat in for scale.
Looking down on the passage and façade.
The main chamber.
There are two good sized capstones on this monument.
View The Standing Stone in a larger map
