 | |
| Location | near Drum and Athlone |
|---|---|
| Region | County Roscommon, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°24′43″N 8°1′11″W / 53.41194°N 8.01972°W |
| Type | Dolmen |
The Meehambee Dolmen is a megalithic portal tomb dating from about 3500 BC located in County Roscommon, Ireland.
Two local schoolchildren unearthed two stone axes in the 1960s.[1]
Initially supported on six upright portals, 2.3 metres high, the capstone is estimated to weigh twenty-four tonnes. The portal stone supporting the back of the capstone has collapsed, allowing the capstone to slide backward out of position and causing the doorstone to collapse. As a result, the capstone now rests at a 45-degree angle.[1]
It is thought that these tombs, of which over 1,200 have been identified in Ireland, were either the burial place of a single important king or chieftain or perhaps the tombs of several tribe members who inhabited the area in the Neolithic era.
It was known locally as Leabaidh Éirn in the 1930s.[2]
- ^ a b Taken from information board onsite.
- ^ "Local Antiquities - A Cromlech - Leabaidh Éarn". dúchas.ie. Retrieved 9 February 2022.