Calliagh Dirras House, Boyne Valley, County Meath, Province of Leinster, Ireland, British Isles [Map]

Calliagh Dirras House [Map]. Also known as Monasterboice chambered cairn.

Llewellynn Jewitt 1870. Other excellent examples of Irish cromlechs and chambers are those at Monasterboise ("Calliagh Dirras House") [Map]; Drumloghan (full of Oghams) [Map]; Kells; Knockeen [Map] (figs. 47 and 48); where the right supporting stones are six in number, and arranged rectangularly, so as to form a distinct chamber at the S.E. end, the large covering stone being 12 feet inches by 8 feet, and weighing about four tons, and the smaller one about half that size; Gaulstown [Map] (figs. 49 and 50, the inner chamber of which measures 7 feet by 6 feet 4 inches, and is seven feet in height); Ballynageerah [Map] (figs. 51, 52, and 53), the capstone of which is cleverly and curiously poised on two only of the upright stones, as will be seen by the engravings¹; Howth, Shandanagh, Brennanstown, Glencullen, Kilternan, Mount Brown, Rath-kenny, Mount Venus, and Knock Mary, Phoenix Park, as well as at many omer places.

Note 1. For the loan of these seven engravings I am indebted to the Council of the "Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland," (formerly the "Kilkenny and South-east of Ireland Archaeo'ogical Society,") in whose journal one of the most valuable of antiquarian publications they have appeared. This Association is one of the most useful that has ever been established, and deserves the best support, not only of Irish, but of English antiquaries.

Journal of the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society Volume 5 1866 Pages 497-501. Remarks on a Kistvaen, and on some carvings on an "earth-fast" rock, in the County of Louth. By George V. Du Noyer, M. R. I. A.

At the northern end of the parish of Monasterboice, and at the distance of about three miles east of Collon, in the county of Louth, there is a large Kistvaen, in a remarkably good state of preservation, called Calliagh Dirra's House [Map]. It stands on the line of an apparently old wall fence; and it is exceedingly interesting, as tending to aid in illustrating my remarks on the classification of ancient megalithic structures published in the last number of our Journal.

This grave, "House," or "Bed," as such remains are frequently called, measures internally 12 feet 8 inches in length, by 3 feet in width at its western, and 4 feet at its eastern end. In it we have a typical example of the true Kistvaen, as distinct from the true Cromleac ; its form (see Plate I.), is rectangular, and its orientation due east and west ; five large flagstones placed on edge form its southern side, with a supplemental stone at the exterior of the last flag at the S. W. angle of the structure ; five other flags form the northern side, which is not equal in length to the southern, the difference being intended to be made up by the flag at the east end, which closed up the Kist; a large supplemental supporting stone rests against the third and fourth flags on the northern side, as shown in the view and plan of the chamber ; the west end is blocked up by one large flag ; and that which closed the east end is now lying on the ground. The whole structure is covered by four large flags. Along the southern side the three most westerly flags are supported externally by five small low blocks, securely set in the ground, like stunted buttresses ; and it is possible that similar supports were originally placed around the structure ; the whole of which, judging from analogy, must have been originally enveloped in a Tumulus.