Clakke — Notes on the Tinnecarra Cvomlech near Boyle. 375 



respectively, and t"Svo at each side. Of these, the two on the northern 

 side remain, the one nest the east 7^ feet wide, being apparently 

 in situ, while its western neighbour, much the smaller of the two, 

 has been violently deflected downwards and inwards. The stone at 

 the eastern end is in its place, and so is the adjacent one on the 

 southern side. This latter stone is 5\ feet wide, and very much split 

 and damaged by weather. jS'either the second stone on the southern 

 side, nor the western transverse stone, are erect, but there is a large 

 stone (evidently one of the set), and most probably that belonging to 

 the west extremity, lying partly covered with grass and debris, a little 

 distance from the floor of the cavity. The latter is covered over with 

 pieces of broken stone, many of which are quite smooth, and have 

 lost, to a large extent, the evidences of fracture, owing to long 

 exposure to rain and frost. One of the uprights is, therefore, absent 

 altogether, and if the theory be correct that the fallen one was 

 originally the transverse western stone, it follows that the missing 

 support was the second stone on the south at its "western end. 



Weld, in his " Survey of Roscommon," written in 1832, accounts 

 for the loss of this stone : — " At a short distance to the north of the 

 small mill," he writes, " at the issue of the river from Lough Gara, on 

 the right-hand side of the road going towards the lake, and not far 

 fi'om it, stands one of the largest cromlechs I have seen in Ireland. 

 The sloping upper stone is 15 feet long by 11 feet broad ; its greatest 

 thickness 2 feet 6 inches, and its average thickness might, perhaps, 

 be safely set down at 18 inches. It is now supported by four 

 upright stones, but once had a flfth. To this the neighbouring miller, 

 in an evil hour, took a fancy, judging it would make an admirable 

 stone for his mill, and, with much diflB.culty and laboiir, he removed 

 it from its place ; but just as the operation was on the point of being 

 completed, the stone, to the amazement and terror of the bystanders, 

 flew into a thousand pieces, an occurrence which was interpreted as a 

 judgment upon the miller for his audacious violation of this sacred 

 work of antiquity." "I presume," Mr. Weld continues further on, 

 " that the fracture and disruption of the supporter in this instance 

 might have been attributable to the weight of the upper stone shift- 

 ing, and coming suddenly upon the upright pillar, beyond what is was 

 able to bear." " The pillars are silicious conglomerate, in a sandstone 

 matrix, such as would have well suited the purposes of the miller." 



1^0 w if this be accepted as veracious, it accounts not alone for the 

 disappearance of one of the supports, but also for the presence of the 

 large quantity of loose stones lying on the floor of the chamber, for 



