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When
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Shrawee Wedge Tomb
 

County

Mayo

Coordinates

N 53° 42' 22.08"   W 009° 49' 29.64"

Nearest town

Louisburgh

Grid Ref.

L 79517 74485

Map No.

37

Elevation a.s.l. (m)

57

Date of visit

Friday 15 June 2018

GPS Accuracy (m)

3
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The Latin cross incised next to the southeast corner of the roof slab. This proves that the tomb was used as an altar during the Penal Times.


At a Y-junction northwest of Cregganbaun there's a nice example of a wedge tomb. It is rather well preserved and it retains a double kerb on both sides and a good portion of antechamber.
A nice flat stone slab, about 22 centimetres thick, covers the burial chamber.
The highest point of the capstone is at 96 centimetres. The whole tomb is 5.80 metres long on the south side, and 2.30 metres wide.
Its entrance faces west-northwest (295°).

It seems that the wedge tomb had been venerated locally as a holy well with the name of Tobernahaltora, Irish for "Well of the altar", but its connections with the Christian world pass through the Penal Times, when the flat roofstone was used as an altar, as proved by the small Latin cross incised on the top surface, near the southeast corner. That's why the tomb is also locally known as "altóir".

Apparently the veneration of this place as a Christian site hasn't ceased, on the day of our visit we saw a rosary hanging from the the rear stone in the burial chamber.

Unfortunately, two elements spoil the beauty of this site, the presence of a modern bungalow to the east of the tomb, and a power pole too close to the south side of the monument.


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