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Proceedings of ike Royal Irish Academy. 



chambers is nine, not ten as stated by Dr. Eeeves. The ascent from the 

 north-east to the south-west end of the series is very gradual, and cannot be 

 accurately described as in steps. Bishop Eeeves was undoubtedly one of the 

 most accurate of writers, but one is inclined to believe that this description 

 of the Cairne Grannia was second-hand. 



liecently, with the assistance of the B.ev. W. P. Carmody and Lieut. 

 J. H. C. Lawlor, leave having been obtained from the landlord and tenant of 

 the land, I made a careful examination of the cairne. 





Fig. 2. 



We commenced with the main cromlech, which I shall call No. 1. This 

 can be entered by a narrow entrance on the south-east side. An excavation 

 was made about 3 feet deep. From the soil extracted, showing fragments of 

 modern bricks and glass, it became evident that this had already been 

 excavated. Xo objects of antiquarian interest were discovered. 



Chambers 2 to 7 are filled up to the level of the top stone with earth and 

 stones. Xos. 2 and -i presented no opening for excavating, but between the 

 upright stones on the north-west side of numbers 3 and 4 is a space, through 

 which a narrow trench was sunk leading into the centre of Xo. 4. On 

 removing the soil and stones filling up the chamber, a layer of calcined 

 human bone fragments and charcoal came to view at a level on a plane with 

 the surrounding field Xo remains of earthenware or flints were found. 

 The layer of bones was rather thin, and spread over an area of about 2 feet 

 in diameter. The bone fragments were very small: too small for any guess 

 to be made as to the sex of the person. The enamel casing of an animal's 

 (probably an ox's) tooth was found among the human bones. This was 

 probably a case of cremation in situ without a cinerary urn, and with the 

 addition of one or more non-human teeth. Having taken specimens of the 

 bones, the soil was replaced as originally found. 



Chambers Xos. 5, 6, and 7 were inaccessible from either side, so excava- 

 tions were resumed at the north-east end. "What is apparently the top 

 stone of Xo. 8 chamber is lying prone on the site of Xo. 9, while that of 

 No. 9 is lving several feet awav. 



