Megalithic tomb - wedge tomb, Casheltown, Gorkermore, Co. Donegal
About 1.5 kilometres north of Dunkineely village in County Donegal stands a remarkable megalithic monument, unique in all of Ireland.
Megalithic tomb - wedge tomb, Casheltown, Gorkermore, Co. Donegal
Set on a low ridge surrounded by boggy terrain and rocky outcrops, this complex structure consists of three separate galleries arranged side by side within a single circular kerb, all facing south-southwest rather than following the typical east-west orientation of most Irish megalithic tombs. The site offers sweeping views across the landscape, with McSwyne’s Bay visible roughly 2 kilometres to the southwest, though Drumbardack Hill blocks the vista to the northeast. A layer of heather-grown peat found atop the surviving roofstones suggests the entire monument was buried beneath bog until relatively recent centuries.
The structure measures approximately 10 metres in diameter, with twelve kerbstones still in their original positions; the tallest reaching 1.4 metres in height along the western edge. Each of the three galleries features a similar design, divided by septal stones into a portico and main chamber, though they vary in preservation and completeness. The western gallery, best preserved of the three, stretches 5 metres in length and retains its massive roofstone covering almost the entire main chamber. The middle gallery, at 6.1 metres, is the longest and narrows from 1.3 metres wide at its southern end to just 1 metre at the north. The eastern gallery appears to be incomplete, surviving as a 2.5 metre chamber that may once have been part of a larger structure similar to its neighbours.
Local history adds an intriguing dimension to this archaeological puzzle; an Ordnance Survey revision note from 1847 to 1849 recorded that human bones of “more than ordinary size” had recently been discovered in a stone trough within one of the eastern chambers, though no further details survive. The monument appears to belong to the wedge tomb tradition, yet its unique triple-gallery design within a single kerb sets it apart from any other known megalithic structure in Ireland, making it an extraordinary example of prehistoric architectural innovation and adaptation to local traditions.





