Seefin Passage Tomb

Seefin passage tomb is located on the summit of Seefin mountain (621m) prominently situated on the western side of the Dublin/Wicklow mountains. The tomb consists of a large stone cairn over 24m in diameter with most of the kerb stones surviving within which are the remains of a passage tomb. The tomb entrance which survives is on the north side of the cairn. A very narrow passage 11m long leads to the central burial chamber. Two of the orthostats, the fourth stones both right and left (Rynne 1963) in the passageway are decorated with artwork. The passage way is slightly angular in its approach to the central chamber. The roof of the central chamber has partially collapsed. The tomb was investigated in 1932 by R.A.S MacAlister, who cleared much of the rouble which filled the central chamber and surveyed the tomb though no finds were reported. MacAlister identified 5 recesses in the central chamber.

Just north of Seefin connected by a ridge are Seefingan and Seahan mountains both of which also have the remains of prehistoric cairns. A peat profile taken in the 1960s from the ridge from Seefin to Seefingan showed evidence of land clearance during the Neolithic, before the growth of the blanket bog which now surrounds the tomb. This suggests settlement activity on the mountains when the tomb was constructed.





Bibliography

  • Macalister, R. A. S. 1932 A Burial Carn on Seefin Mountain, Co. Wicklow. The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Vol. 2, No.2 pp. 153-157
  • Macalister, R. A. S. 1937. Two Carved Stones in the Seefinn Carn.The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland,Vol. 7, No.2 pp. 312-313
  • Rynne, E. 1963 The Decorated Stones at Seefin. The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Vol. 93, No. 1, pp.85-86
  • Stout, G. 1989. The Archaeology of County Wicklow. Archaeology Ireland, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 126-131

View of Seefin Passage Tomb View of Seefin Passage Tomb Top of cairn Seefin Passage Tomb Seefigan cairn viewed from Seefin Passage Tomb
Kerb stones Seefin Passage tomb View of tomb entrance View of tomb entrance
View of entrance passage from burial chamber View of entrance passage from burial chamber Entrance passage Seefin Passage Tomb Entrance passage Seefin Passage Tomb
View of burial chamber from entrance passage View of recess in the central chamber Seefin Passage Tomb Remains of corballed roof central chamber Seefin Passage Tomb

Site Location

  • SMR Number:
  • Class: Passage tomb
  • National Grid Reference (E,N):
  • Townland(s):
    • (www.archaeology.ie)
View Seefin in a larger map
Next >
Last Updated , Nov 2010  
Home Mesolithic Neolithic Bronze Age Iron Age Early Medieval Medieval Links