County: Dublin Site name: BALLINASCORNEY UPPER
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Patrick Healy
Site type: Megalithic tomb - passage tomb
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 706927m, N 723528m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.251337, -6.397658
This monument consists of an incomplete circle of boulders with a hollow in the centre in which are four disconnected stones. It was probably a tomb with a burial chamber or cist in the middle and a kerb of boulders retaining either a cairn of stones or a tumulus of soil. It lies within a forestry plantation.
In 1986 four adjoining stones of the circle were displaced in the course of hauling of timber and the cost of the excavation was borne by prior agreement by the timber merchant whose workers were responsible for the damage. The original position of these four stones was recorded in a survey done by the writer in 1984 and also in a photograph taken about the same time.
For 3 1/2 days in June an area 5m x 1.5m was excavated in order to locate the sockets in which the stones sat. The sod was directly on top of a layer of black peat which varied in depth from 0.1m to 0.15m. Below the peat was a grey gravelly soil to an average depth of 0.1m and below this a fine yellow subsoil. The tractor which had made a passage across the site had left two deep tracks down to the grey soil.
When the peat was removed four hollows or sockets were exposed. Three of these were dug into the yellow clay, No.1 to a depth of 0.1m, No.2 to a depth of 0.2m, and No.4 to a depth of 0.05m. The fill of the sockets consisted mainly of peat with some grey soil which had fallen in from the sides. Around each socket were a number of stones which had been used to steady the boulders in position. Some of these had slipped inwards into the sockets.
On the surface of the grey soil were many pieces of white quartz which were collected during the course of the work and numbered over 70 pieces, as well as many chippings. Outside socket No.1 was an area paved with small stones which measured about 0.8m by 0.5m and appeared to continue under the south-east baulk. West of socket No.1 was a scatter of stones measuring 0.1m to 0.25m max. This may have been cairn material. The grey soil was not excavated and no objects were found.
The next adjoining boulders at each end of the four in question had been missing before the damage was done to the site. No obvious sockets for these boulders were found in the grey soil and no excavation was done to establish their exact location.
The four displaced boulders, each of which weighed about a quarter ton, were lying 10m from their original position. The lower part of each, which had been embedded in the ground, was still very white and clean, while the upper part, which had been exposed, was ingrained with dirt and coated with lichen. It was possible to identify each stone from the shape and size on the plan, and the profile in the photograph, with a satisfactory degree of certainty. Finally each boulder was restored to its proper place and the sods were replaced.
The stone numbered 5 on the plan has been slightly moved since the plan was made in 1984 but as it was then already out of position it was not considered necessary to touch it.
21 Newgrove Ave. Sandymount, Dublin 4
