I will accept the correction. The monument consists of a denuded round cairn approximately 20 m in diameter that incorporates the remains of two passage tombs. The west tomb is relatively simple in plan, with a passage widening into a terminal chamber, the overall structure measuring approximately 4.5 m from entrance to backstone. The east tomb has a more complex, quasi-cruciform plan and measures approximately 3 m from entrance to backstone, with a further gap of approximately 1.5 m separating the entrance from the perimeter kerb. At its widest, the east tomb measures approximately 2.5 m across. As is normal in the case of Irish passage tombs, the tombs are defined by orthostats and the perimeter is defined by a kerb of megalithic slabs. On the east side, the kerb runs across in front of the tomb as at Newgrange and Knowth, for example, but a flanking winged façade opens out from the tomb on the west side and merges into the kerb.
Unusually for a passage tomb, Knockroe is situated on the side of the valley. It is located on a south-facing slope with impressive vistas to the south and west, interrupted by Carrigadun Hill overlooking Ahenny approximately 2 km downriver and Kilmacoliver Hill to the south east, at the summit of which the Baunfree site is located. Beyond the Suir to the south, the Comeragh Mountains rise impressively and, to the west, Slievenamon is the lone landmark, its lower flanks hidden by the rising ground on the south-west side of the Lingaun.
Slate extraction — I got it right there — thrived into the 20th century and had its origins as far back as medieval times. It has left quarries, spoil heaps and other relics of industry along the Lingaun, giving the local area its distinctive appearance and name, the Slate Quarries, although the once scarred valley is now a picturesque haven overtaken by vegetation and wildlife. It has considerable potential for industrial archaeology.
An important aspect of the study of megalithic tombs is the source of the stones used in their construction. Preliminary geological studies in the landscape around the Coshel indicate that the stones used by the builders were all accessible within a kilometre or two of the Knockroe site. There is evidence that considerable care went into the selection of particular types of stone for passage tombs, which suggests that the location of the site may have been chosen with raw materials in mind.
Another historical feature deserves special mention. Immediately below the Coshel, less than 100 m distant, the confluence of the Lingaun and one of its tributaries marks the boundary between counties Kilkenny and Tipperary, Leinster and Munster and the dioceses of Ossory and Cashel. The coincidence of a natural boundary defining administrative and ecclesiastical limits suggests that this territory may have been a liminal place from ancient times.
It is a wonderful monument in a beautiful setting. I had the pleasure of visiting it on 22 May of this year. It was a beautiful sunny day, unusual for this year. I could appreciate at first hand its significance with the presence of two chambers in one cairn and their mid-winter alignment. The east tomb is aligned to the rising sun and the west tomb to the setting sun at the winter solstice. There is no evidence that the monument was ever covered completely by a mound like other megalithic tombs.
The significance of the complex is threatened through the vulnerability of the site and the standing remains. While secluded, the site is easily accessible. In its present state, its archaeological features are open to damage, inadvertent or otherwise. These features are deteriorating through exposure to the elements. Certain standing stones display evidence of structural instability. The site could also be vulnerable to changes in land use in the vicinity.
With all of this in mind, I commissioned a conservation plan for Knockroe passage tomb earlier this year. The plan is in the final stages of preparation and is expected to be published early in 2010. The purpose is to maintain Knockroe as an open archaeological site that will remain an object of study and inspiration. I look forward to studying the measures put forward in the plan to support the aims to reduce the effects of weathering and to prevent inadvertent damage by visitors. The role of the conservation plan is to establish specific policies by identifying threats to the monument's site and setting, establishing an approach to the conservation of the monument and identifying areas where co-ordination of action and policy is required. A public consultation meeting was held in Tullahought in September 2009 and was well attended by members of the local community. I hope to launch the plan in this locality in the new year.
