Kilmashogue Megalithic Tomb

Today the wedge tomb at Kilmashogue is located in forestry, but originally it would have been situated on an open mountain side overlooking the lowlands now occupied by Dublin city. The site was excavated in 1953. The kerbstones that formerly retained the stone cairn had been removed, but the sockets of these stones were found during the excavations. The burial gallery is aligned NE-SW and is no longer roofed. The gap between two stones forming the entrance at the SW end of the gallery is very narrow and was clearly intended to restrict entrance into the burial gallery. The burial gallery was divided by a stone into two chambers, i.e., a front chamber and the main chamber. The long walls of the chamber were formed by three parallel rows of stones set on end. This type of tomb is believed to have been constructed at the beginning of the Bronze Age in Ireland, around 2500 BC. Several hundred years after its construction, people returned to the wedge tomb at Kilmashogue and inserted three stone cists that were found to contain Bronze Age pottery. Please note that many of these monuments may be on private land and may not be publicly accessible. When setting out to visit monuments please ensure that you wear appropriate footwear and clothing. Access to monuments without Visitor Services may be across uneven ground which may not be suitable for everyone and, in particular, wheelchair users.