Dunhill Portal Tomb

This is one of the lesser known tombs to be found on the Waterford megalithic map.
The capstone which is about four meters by three rests on one portal stone with the other end on a pile of various small rocks.
This tomb is by far in the worst shape compared to other sites in the area.

It is very easy to find.  The tomb is located in a field beside a large farm (their may be a Bull in the field but I could not see him ).

Athassel Abbey

The Abbey is located a short drive from Golden Co Tipperary.
It was built in the 12th Century.
The Abbey was once the largest in Ireland and was built by Norman Lord William de Burgh.
The remains of the monastery are spred over four acres.
The Abbey was burned in 1319 by Lord Maurice Fitzthomas and again in 1329 by Bryan O'Brien.
Access to the site is very easy, a short walk from the gate into the field.  One minor drawback is a parking issue as the road that runs beside the abbey is very narrow.

Dolmen of the Four Maols

This site is known locally as the Dolmen of the Four Maols.
The tomb is not actually a dolmen but a Kist.
The site is located on the outskirts of Ballina town above the railway station. It looks like at some stage one of the side-stones has been removed from the tomb (first image) and left lying a few feet away.
This tomb is well worth a visit but prepare yourself for the OPW sign at the front of the tomb and various masts, fences and phone lines (all shown in their full glory here).

Carrickglass Portal Tomb aka The Labby Rock

The Tomb consists of a well-preserved chamber with a large capstone, weighing around 70 tonnes, and measuring 4.4m long by 3.4m wide and 2m thick. It rests on four supports. The two portal stones at the front have a blocking stone behind them to seal the chamber. It has not been excavated in modern times, but Lady Louisa Tennison of Kilronan Castle may have removed cremated remains from it in the middle of the 19th century. It is called Labby after the Irish word leaba, meaning bed, and derives from the folk belief that this portal tomb was used as a sleeping place of Diarmaid and Gráinne when they were fleeing Fionn MacCumhaill.

The best way to get to the tomb is via Cromlech Lodge Hotel, you walk up through a pine forest (arrows are marked on the trees telling you which way to go) and before you know it you are at this impressive tomb.

Hurlstone Standing Stone

This is a giant of a stone, it is much bigger than either of the images would have you believe.
The stone stands to a height  of 1.5 meters and is roughly the same in width.
The hole is 20cm's in diameter.

It is thought that this may be all that remains from what was once a wedge tomb.

Access - The stone is located just off a very narrow road so parking is tricky.
The stone is not visible from a car as the field it is situated in is banked.

Labbacallee Wedge Tomb

Side

Rear

Front

Labbacallee wedge tomb (Leaba Caillighe in Irish, meaning The Hag's Bed) is a large pre-historic burial monument. Labbacallee is thought to have been built during the early Bronze Age, circa 1500 BC.

The site is the largest Irish examples of a wedge tomb. It consists of a long rectangular chamber, covered by three capstones, the largest of which is 8M in length and weighs up to 2 tons. Three chambers lie to the rear of the monument. The site is surrounded by a wide u-shaped kerb.

Local folklore associates the site with the Celtic Hag-Goddess Cailleach Bheur, and when during the excavation of the site it was found to contain the remains of a woman. Although the body had been positioned within the tomb, her skull was found outside of it.
This and many other of the great sites I have put up on the blog have been discovered and found thanks to Jim Dempseys great web site which can be found here ! http://www.megalithicireland.com/index.html

Carrigogunnell Castle

This stunning ruin is all that remains of Carrigogunnell Castle, which is situated near the village of Clarina. The castle is an impressive fortress dominating a volcanic rocky crag. It consists of a multi-sided enclosure, fortified by a strong wall probably of 15th-century date, in a poor state of preservation. The castle was blasted apart by cannon during the 1691 siege of Limerick.