Killaclohane Portal Tomb
TWO events related to the Killaclohane Portal Tomb will take place in the next week.
A free public talk on recent excavations at the portal tomb in Milltown – now known to be one of Ireland oldest manmade structures – will take place in Milltown Community Hall on Thursday, May 3 at 8.00pm.
County Archaeologist, Dr Michael Connolly, will explain the significance of what was discovered during the excavations at the tomb, Kerry’s oldest burial ground, which dates back to almost 4,000BC and holds evidence of some of the earliest agricultural activity in north-west Europe. All welcome.
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Then on Bank Holiday Monday, May 7, the organisers of Fleadh Cheoil Chiarraí in Milltown are holding a Family Fun Walk to the historic 6,000 year-old tomb on the outskirts of the village to help raise funds for the festival and to promote a Summer Solstice Celebration at the tomb which will form part of the Fleadh programme in June.
Participants are invited to join the sponsored walk from the Nagle Rice Community Centre to the Portal Tomb at 10.30am on the day.
The tomb at Killaclohane, which was excavated in recent years, has been discovered to be the oldest manmade structure in Kerry and has been dated to 3,800BC. Human remains, pottery and other items were discovered during excavations overseen by Kerry County Archaeologist, Dr Michael Connolly and the Kerry County Museum in 2015.
The committee behind Fleadh Cheoil Chiarraí will be holding a special open-air celebration at the tomb on the Summer Solstice, 21st June, which happens to fall on the second day of the festival. Full details of the event will be announced in the coming weeks.
“This Family Fun Walk on 7th May is aimed to promoting the very significant Killaclohane Portal Tomb and getting kids and their families, and anyone else that wants to join in, to walk the mile or so from the village to the tomb and back,” said PRO of Fleadh Cheoil Chiarraí, Chris Horan.
“We have adopted the image of the tomb as our official logo for the Fleadh and we have themed the festival ‘Reconnecting with the Past’ with the portal tomb forming an important part of the Fleadh programme on 21st June.
“So on Bank Holiday Monday, anyone and everyone who fancies a stroll is invited to join the walk and to make a small contribution towards the running costs of the Fleadh.
“Walkers should assemble at the Nagle-Rice Community Centre from 10am and hand in their sponsorship cards or simply make a small contribution if they wish. The walk will set off at about 10.30am and there will be refreshments for everyone after. All the sponsorship cards will be put into a hat for a raffle for a few spot prizes,” said Chris.
