This is the first tomb of this kind that we visited. It's quite easily accessible, inside Phoenix Park on the east side of the keeper's cottage not far from the St. Mary's Hospital.
It's a very small tomb. It measures 1.94 metres of length along the northeast-southwest (42°-222°) axis, it's 1.02 metres wide and 70 centimetres tall. The capstone is 34 centimetres thick and has a hollow that measures 40 x 25 centimetres on the southeast (116°) side. Its surface presents several cupmarks of about 8 centimetres of diameter. On the east side of the edge of the capstone there are two holes which are 8 centimetres deep and with a diameter of 4 centimetres.
The capstone is broken in two or three points with very visible cracks and it has been reconstructed. It's supported by four short stones and a concrete pillar. Other small stones lie around the tomb.
The dating of this monument is controversial, but it could date to around 3,000 BC. It was discovered in 1838 by some workmen called over the place to remove an ancient tumulus. Inside the tomb the archaeologists found the remains of two male burials in crouched position, along with a flint blade, a shell necklace and a bone toggle, which was an item used to fasten clothes.
Unfortunately the position of this tomb so close to where people gather makes the place a dump, and before we could take our photos we had to remove the dozens of broken beer bottles, chips packages, paper, cigarettes butts, bottle caps, and so on, around and inside the monument.
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