Gaulstown Portal Tomb

Coordinates: 52°12′20″N 7°12′40″W / 52.2056°N 7.2112°W / 52.2056; -7.2112

Gaulstown Portal Tomb
Shown within Ireland
Location Gaulstown, County Waterford
Region Ireland
Coordinates 52°12′20″N 7°12′40″W / 52.2056°N 7.2112°W / 52.2056; -7.2112
Type Portal tomb
History
Periods Neolithic
Site notes
Public access Yes
Reference no. 398[1]

The Gaulstown Portal Tomb or Gaulstown Dolmen is a megalithic portal tomb situated in Gaulstown, in County Waterford, Ireland. It lies about 7 km south west of Waterford city.[2]

Location

The tomb is named for the townsland in which it situated, Gaulstown, and sits at the foot of "Cnoc an Chaillighe" or "The Hill of the Hag".[3]

Features

The portal tomb most likely dates from around 3500 BC, and is considered one of the finest examples of portal tombs in the region,[2] and was first recorded by George Victor Du Noyer in 1864.[4] The tomb faces south east into the hillside, and consists of two east-facing portal stones which are 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in) high, with a door stone between and a chamber consisting of three other upright stones. All of these support a rectangular capstone, which is 4.2 metres (14 ft) in length, and 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) deep. The tomb has been undergone maintenance in the past, with a concrete support added inside the chamber. There is evidence that some of the upright stones may have moved over time, as the shape of the chamber has been impacted.[3] It is likely that the structure was once enclosed by a mound or cairn, which has since been removed or eroded away.[5]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gaulstown Dolmen.
Look up dolmen in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

References

  1. ↑ "National Monuments in County Waterford" (PDF). National Monuments Service. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  2. 1 2 Jackman, Neil (9 August 2014). "Heritage Ireland: The lonely Kilkenny cave that witnessed a massacre of 1,000 people". The Journal. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Gaulstown Portal Tomb". Prehistoric Waterford. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Ancient Ireland - Exploring Irish Historic Monuments". Old Moore's Almanac. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "Gaulstown Portal Tomb". Megalithic Monuments of Ireland. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
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