Access
Car/Cycle From the Dublin-Enniskerry Road (R117) you may approach the site by turning right either at Stepaside or Kilternan. The roads in this area are narrow and winding, so caution is advised.
- From Kilternan, follow R116 up to Glencullen crossroads (Johnny Fox's pub, 3.0 km), then turn right and drive another 1.3 km.
- From the crossroads in Stepaside, follow the road for 2.5 km.
Parking There is space for one car beside the gate of a nearby house. See waypoint below. Please park safely and considerately.
Public Transport Bus number 44B passes along this road, but is exceptionally infrequent so please study the timetable before setting out. Routes 44 and 118 serve Stepaside village. From there to the cache site is 4 km each-way.
Directions From Ballyedmonduff Road, climb over the gate (see waypoint below) and cross the field to the forestry gate. Once inside the forest, turn left at the junction, passing Glencullen Golf Course on your left, and follow the path around until you see the monument in a little clearing on your right.
Description of the Monument
This gallery grave was built by early Bronze Age farmers around 1700 BC, and is said to have been rediscovered by Alderman Blacker of Dublin in the 1830s. Some stones were taken away by local stonemasons over the years. It was excavated in 1935 (or 1945 according to some sources) by deValera and O'Ríordáin, yielding fragments of pottery (described as "beaker sherds and coarse Neolithic ware" - in other words a mix of late Stone Age and early Bronze Age), stone tools and charred bone. It is thought that the excavation was unsympathetic by modern standards, and that the monument was substantially reduced.
Although the main chamber appears perfectly rectangular, it is classed as a wedge-tomb because the cairn in which it was enclosed was wedge- or oval-shaped. It is also possible that the chamber was originally wedge-shaped and was subject to well-meaning "improvements" in the 20th century. It is one of 3 wedge-tombs in the Barony of Rathdown, the other two being at Kilmashogue and Laughanstown.
The monument is exceptionally - suspiciously? - well-preserved. The main axis is oriented east-west. The chamber is divided into three parts, probably two burial chambers and an ante-chamber. The whole was enclosed in a cairn of stones and earth retained by a "kerb" consisting of a horseshoe-shaped double-wall of upright stones.
References
Patrick Healy; "Archaeology, Early Christian Remains and Local Histories - Paddy Healy's Dublin" (South Dublin Libraries, 2004)
Peter Harbison; "Guide to National and Historic Monuments of Ireland" (Gill and Macmillan, 2001)
Kathleen Turner; “If You Seek Monuments - a guide to the antiquities of the Barony of Rathdown” (Rathmichael Historical Society, 1983)
Final Stage Co-ordinates
To find the co-ordinates of the final stage, please refer to the 3 sentences of the English-language description on the information board.
- A = second word of third sentence
- B = sixth word of second sentence
- C = seventh word of second sentence
- D = second word of second sentence
- E = fourth word of second sentence
- F = eleventh word of second sentence
The cache is hidden at N53°13.ABC W6°13.DEF. GPS reception at the location is likely to be poor, especially in wet weather.
Some extra advice for reaching the final stage:
Follow the forest road until you get near the gate, and then just before going through the gate, take the grassy path to the left. It follows the forest boundary at first, then turns left and up through the forest, becoming more muddy. There are tyre tracks from use by motorcycles. This track will lead you near the final co-ordinates.
Once there you will find a large flat-faced stone that shows signs of working and may be an undocumented ancient standing stone. The scalloped edge may be caused by the process of excavating the stone or splitting a larger stone in two, using ancient tools. The cache is hidden under this stone, behind a log.
