Kilgraney Portal Tomb, Carlow, Ireland

Kilgraney, also known as Cloghabrona or Druid’s Altar, is a collapsed portal tomb situated twenty metres north of a tributary stream that flows to the River Barrow. The capstone is just short of 4 metres in length, 2.6 and width, and with a depth of 1.1 metres its a sight to behold, one can only imagine how magnificent it looked before its ruin. The other supporting stones are also collapsed with the exception of one on which the capstone still rests. I am unsure of any excavations carried out at Kilgraney. In regards the name ‘Druid’s Altar’, throughout Ireland there are several tombs ascribed that title, however I have transcribed the following local story gathered in the School’s Collection of 1938,

”About a mile from our school there is a townsland called Boherduff. In this townsland there is a small farm owned Miss Anne Hogan. In one of the fields of this farm there still stands an old altar. This altar is locally known as “The Druid’s Altar”. This altar is made up of two big long stones. It is supposed to be an altar, whereon the Druid priests of old offered sacrifices. Behind it is a long stone covered with moss, and it bears every token of age. This stones is supposed to be the tomb-stone of the grave of the druid priests“

I would very much encourage anyone interested in folklore or history to volunteer as a transcriber for Dúchas, its an amazing, constantly improving resource.

GPS: 52.64366, -6.96403

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