Craigs, Country Antrim
About 1/2 mile south-west of the Broad Stone, over a stile into a field on the west side of Mullan road, is the well-preserved chamber of a small, neatly constructed passage tomb whose 8 feet by 5 1/2 feet capstone was shattered in the 1970s as a result of rainwater freezing in faults in the basalt. It was repaired during excavation in 1985 and replaced in its original position on the seven uprights forming the oval chamber. The underside of the capstone was found to have a number of grooves, artificially cut, to allow it to rest securely on the supporting stones - a feature noted also at Magheraboy passage tomb on the north Antrim coast. Until the nineteenth century this megalith retained most if not all of its cairn, with the capstone alone being the only visible part of the structure. There may have been a short passage in front of the entrance, which faces west-south-west, but this feature is often lacking in northern versions of the type.
Click here to buy the Appletree Press book from Amazon.co.uk. For more information click on: Ireland's Ancient Stones - A Megalithic Heritage by Kenneth McNally, published by Appletree Press.
Other Ancient Stones in County Antrim: Ballylumford | Ballymacaldrack | Broadstone | Craigarogan | Doagh | Ticloy
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