The
forecourt of this tomb measures 17 x 10m (56 x 33 ft)
(111Kb)
There
are over 350 known court-tombs in the whole of Ireland, but only five are in the south. Creevykeel, adjoining the Sligo-Bundoran
road 2.4km (1-1/2 miles) NE of Cliffony, is certainly the most impressive
and has been thoroughly restored.
Located within a wedge-shaped cairn, this tomb was originally about 61 m
(200 ft) long. At the eastern end is the main entrance, through a small
passage, which leads into an oval forecourt. Originally paved, the forecourt
is very large : 17 x 10 m (56 x 33 ft). Close inspection shows a change in
size of the orthostats ending the court, as if they might have been built
in more than one phase.
The tomb continues on beneath a lintel stone through two successive chambers,
where four cremations have been found. Even further on are the remains of
a possible three more burial chambers.
During Hencken's excavations of 1935, a chalk ball was discovered at
Creevykeel, it is an item similar to those found in Brittany, which may
be a further confirmation that court-tombs often slightly pre-date passage-tombs.
Other grave goods included Neolithic pottery, leaf-shaped flint arrowheads,
hollow scrapers, and polished stone axeheads.
The
forecourt of this tomb measures 17 x 10m (56 x 33 ft)
(111Kb)
