The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Ballyelly

Wedge Tomb

Fieldnotes

About a kilometre south of Fanore Beach a road climbs the lower northwest slopes of Sliabh Eilbhe in an almost southerly direction. This road meets the Burren Way walkers’ trail at Balliny North after about 2.5 kilometres. You can park here. Head back in a northeasterly direction along the Burren Way. The track is well walked and popular. It’s in that part of the Burren where there is still a thin cover of soil and vegetation, more dangerous for traversing than the denuded parts as the cover tends to hide the grykes that can result in a snapped ankle.

The walk to the enclosure, tomb and the hut site is about 2.5 kilometres of leisurely trekking. The stones and condition of the enclosure walls and the hut site are similar to those of the shattered and collapsed tomb. This could lead one to believe that they originate from the same era. I like to think that there was a bronze-age smallholding here which included the wedge tomb.

There’s not much to say about the tomb itself. It’s in a very collapsed state, but both sidetones seem to be there, along with a couple of roofslabs and a possible backstone. It is typical of the Burren wedge tomb class.

We spent a while here in the welcome but intermittent sunshine. The Burren terrain, like the Aran Islands to the west, seems to suck the noise of the world out of the atmosphere, enclosing the spirit in a bubble of peace and eeriness. We investigated the clochán about 250 metres to the south-east and then headed back to the track via the enclosure.
ryaner Posted by ryaner
6th August 2020ce
Edited 8th August 2020ce

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