MONUMENT OF THE MONTH

MEGALITHIC MONUMENTS
          OF IRELAND.COM
CO-ORDINATES
52 35' 30,646"N...6 47' 8.07"W
DIRECTION
From  Kiltealy county Wexford,head west on the R702 for about 1.5km. At a fork in the road turn right and     
continue for 500m. On the right will be a farm-house and directly after this a lane-way on the right heading up       
the mountain. Turn here and drive up for about 100m and park opposite a small house. The track continues up       
for about 2km but is quiet gentle , keeping the forest plantation on your right. At the end of the plantation
walk a further 150m until you come to a river-bed and cross over to the left of this and walk a further 150m.Now    
turn 90 degrees and head up the mountain for 200m and you will begin to see the portal tomb on the sky-line.          
Give yourself about 2 hours for this trip.
This  wonderful,hidden and forgotten portal tomb in located on the eastern slopes of Knockroe mountain on
the Carlow - Wexford border with Mount Leinster to the north. In summer it can be hidden by thick gorse and
heather but my visit was after some gorse burn-back. The views are just spectacular and  panoramic looking out
over high mountains and broad valleys to the east towards the Irish sea in the distance. The tomb is orientated
east - west, with the rear of the tomb,once embedded into the mountain side but now slightly elevated above the
surrounding earth. The capstone is massive measuring 3.7m in length,2.7m in width,0.70m in depth and is
0.70m above the chamber floor. There appears to be slight markings under the capstone similar to cup-marks but
this would need a proper archaeological excavation to determine. Only one portal stone is still in situ and it is         
now 1.2m in height,having collapsed inwards under the massive weight of the capstone. There is some evidence      
of dry-walling at the rear of the tomb and the chamber floor is covered in gravel but this may be natural. On the      
surface of the capstone is a horse-shoe like carving measuring 0.17m X 0.12m but its date is uncertain. One of
the side wall uprights on the south-side has what appears to be a spiral motif measuring 0.40m across.
JULY 2010
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M M I
KNOCKROE PORTAL TOMB COUNTY CARLOW
M M I
PHOTO by Pip POWELL
MAY 2010
PHOTO by Pip POWELL
MAY 2010
PHOTO by Pip POWELL
MAY 2010
PHOTO by Pip POWELL
MAY 2010
HORSE SHOE CARVING
LOOKING EAST
SPIRAL CARVING