Unfortunately the tomb was disturbed by treasure hunters in the eighteenth century leaving it in the ruined condition which one finds it today. The present remains consist of the uprightt side ston box or cist with tree displaced stones lying around the surface of the tomb.
This burial practice of placing human remains inside the cist has a long tradition in Ireland and appears to have emerged into the Bronze Age and later. The skeleton is oftem placed inside the stone box in the foetal positing accompanied by pottery and other grave goods.
According to local tradition a gold spur was found in the 'Giants Grave', and this may have been an original grave good placed alongside the body as part of the ritual associated with the burial. Several legends have been recorded about the death of Bladh, a warrior chief who died in this mountain range with the 'Gianrs Grave' being the traditional resting place of this warrior. In Canon Carrigans 'History of Ossory' legend has it that a battle was fought here in 3000BC, where Bladh, the warrior chief was killed and a cairn of stones was raised to his memory and so the mountains became known as the 'Sliabh Bladhma' or Bladh's Mountain. Another legend describes Bladhma, a Connaught hero, son of Conn Ceadathach, who killed an important western chief named 'Bregmeal'.
As a result Bladh took refuge in the surrounding mountains where he was later slain in a revenge attack. Both of these traditions record the local belief that the 'Giants Grave' is the resting place of a warrior chief named Bladh whose name is preserved forever in the mountain range surrounding his burial site. |
