The monument sits just south of an old abandoned railway cutting, its 7-metre-long stone gallery oriented east to west and offering sweeping views across to the sea. Despite much of the historical literature incorrectly placing it in the neighbouring townland of Cool More, this Neolithic structure actually lies within Cool Beg, where it has stood since farmers first erected these massive stones some 5,000 years ago.

The tomb consists of two stone chambers separated by upright jamb stones, with the western chamber still partially covered by a massive roofstone that has slipped from its original position. This impressive capstone measures 3.6 metres long, 2.7 metres wide and half a metre thick; testament to the engineering prowess of Ireland’s prehistoric communities. The eastern chamber, roughly 3.3 metres long, shows signs of considerable alteration over the millennia, with an irregular drystone wall now replacing what were likely original orthostats on the northern side. Two large jamb stones, standing about 0.7 metres apart, mark the eastern entrance to the gallery, whilst similar stones divide the interior space between the two chambers.

Historical accounts paint a picture of a monument that has remained remarkably unchanged since at least the mid-19th century. When antiquarian Thomas Fagan visited in 1847, he found the tomb much as it appears today, with the western chamber’s roofstone already in its distinctive tilted position, leaning against the northern wall stone. The Victorian archaeologist William Wakeman rather optimistically described it as a ‘perfect example’ of its type in the 1870s, though his contemporary Hugh Allingham quickly corrected this assessment after finding the roof clearly displaced. What remains clear from these early surveys is that this represents a classic two-chambered gallery tomb, with its entrance facing east and the western chamber narrowing towards its back end; a typical design feature of these ancient burial monuments that dot the Irish landscape.