Moylisha Wedge Tomb
| Moylisha Wedge Tomb | |
|---|---|
| Native name Irish: Leaba na Saidhe | |
| Labbanasighe | |
 | |
| Type | wedge-shaped gallery grave |
| Location | Moylisha, Shillelagh, County Wicklow, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 52°45′05″N 6°37′20″W / 52.7514°N 6.622294°W |
| Area | Slaney Valley |
| Elevation | 247 m (810 ft) |
| Height | 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) |
| Built | c. 2300–1000 BC |
  Location of Moylisha Wedge Tomb in Ireland | |
| Official name | Moylisha |
| Reference no. | 368[1] |
Moylisha Wedge Tomb, also called Labbanasighe, is a wedge-shaped gallery grave and National Monument located in County Wicklow, Ireland.[2]
Location[edit]
Moylisha Wedge Tomb is located on the north face of Moylisha Hill, 6.1 km (3.8 mi) west of Shillelagh.[3]
History[edit]
Moylisha Wedge Tomb was constructed c. 2300–1000 BC, i.e. the Copper Age or Bronze Age. The old name "Labbanasighe" is from Irish leaba na saidhe, meaning "Bed of the Bitch" (i.e. female dog). The name might also mean "Labbanasaighde" which translates as "Bed of the Arrow / Shaft" which may be evidenced through finds from archaeological digs. Local folklore in Parkbridge explains the origins of the name differently - in the local area the phonetics are pronounced like "Lob-na-Sy (Síthe)" which is said to mean "Bed of the Fairies". The site was excavated in 1937 by Gearóid Ó h-Iceadha and potsherds, some cremated bone and two stone disks were found. Also found were two valves of a sandstone mould for lozenge-bladed socket-looped spearheads.[4][5]
Description[edit]
Moylisha Wedge Tomb consists of a rectangular cairn 13 m × 10 m incorporating a gallery 7.5 m in length aligned NW–SE. The gallery consists of a small antechamber separated by a low sill from the main chamber 6 m in length which widens toward the southeast. A single displaced roofstone lies in the gallery.[6][7]
References[edit]
- ^ "National Monuments of County Wicklow in State Care" (PDF). heritageireland.ie. National Monument Service. p. 2. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
- ^ "Disturbing the Bed of the Bitch". 1 May 2014.
- ^ "Moylisha : Wedge Tomb". megalithomania.com.
- ^ Flanagan, Laurence (29 October 1998). "Ancient Ireland: Life Before the Celts". Gill & Macmillan Ltd – via Google Books.
- ^ "Wedge Tombs - West Wicklow Bookshelf".
- ^ Pip. "MOYLISHA WEDGE TOMB/MEGALITHIC MONUMENTS OF IRELAND.COM".
- ^ "Wicklow Pre-history" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.