Matthewstown Passage Tomb

Matthewstown Passage Tomb is a passage tomb situated in County Waterford, Ireland.

Matthewstown Passage Tomb
Leaba Thomáis Mhic Cába
Shown within Ireland
Alternative nameThomas McCabe's Bed
LocationMatthewstown, Fenor, County Waterford
RegionIreland
Coordinates52.175879°N 7.22726°W / 52.175879; -7.22726
Typekistvaen
Part ofScilly–Tramore group
History
Materialstone
Founded2500–2000 BC
PeriodsNeolithic
Site notes
Public accessYes
National Monument of Ireland
Reference no.237[1]

Location

The tomb is located 1.6 km (1 mile) north of Fenor. Most of the surrounding countryside is visible, to the Comeragh Mountains.[2]

History

Matthewstown Passage Tomb dates to 2500–2000 BC. It is locally known as Thomas McCabe's Bed; this may have been the name of a local outlaw who supposedly spent a night here: cf. the many "Diarmuid and Gráinne's Beds"[3]

This is one of a group of small passage tombs in Co. Waterford with affinities to the tombs in Cornwall and the Scilly Isles, hence the name "Scilly-Tramore group," suggesting that the builders were seafarers from Cornwall.[4][5][6]

Description

Matthewstown Passage Tomb is 4.5 m (fifteen feet) long and about 1.8 m (six feet) wide. There are two rows of five orthostats protruding above the ground to about 1 metre (three-and-a-half feet).[7] This grave was covered by four large stone slabs. [8][5][9]

References
  1. "National Monuments in County Waterford" (PDF). National Monuments Service. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  2. "megalithomania: Matthewstown (Waterford) :: Passage Tomb :: Visit notes".
  3. "Matthewstown :: Prehistoric Waterford".
  4. "Geograph:: Passage tomb at Matthewstown, Co.... (C) Kieran Campbell".
  5. Past, Ed Hannon-Visions of the (22 December 2016). "Matthewstown Passage Tomb, Waterford, Ireland".
  6. Pip. "MATTHEWSTOWN PASSAGE TOMB/MEGALITHIC MONUMENTS OF IRELAND.COM".
  7. "Matthewstown Passage Tomb".
  8. "A little Fenor history that needs respecting".
  9. "Matthewstown Passage Tomb".
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