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Brownshill Dolmen (''Dolmain Chnoc an Bhrúnaigh'' in 
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
) is a very large megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
ic portal tomb
A dolmen () or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the early Neolithic (40003000 BCE) and were som ...
situated 3 km east of Carlow
Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2016 census, it had a combined urban and rural population of 24,272.
The River Barrow flows through the town and forms the historic bounda ...
, in County Carlow
County Carlow ( ; ga, Contae Cheatharlach) is a county located in the South-East Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Carlow is the second smallest and the third least populous of Ireland's 32 traditional counties. Carlow Cou ...
, Ireland. Its capstone weighs an estimated 150 metric tons, and is reputed to be the heaviest in Europe. The tomb is listed as a National Monument
A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure.
The term may also refer to a spec ...
. Known as the Kernanstown Cromlech, sometimes spelled as ''Browneshill'' Dolmen, it is sited on the former estate house of the Browne family from which it takes its name.
The tomb was built between 4000 and 3000 BC. It is distinguished for the flanking of its burial chamber with two large upright stones (orthostats) supporting the granite capstone (roof) of the chamber. The capstone is thought to have been covered by an earthen mound and a gate stone blocked the entrance. At Brownshill both portal stones and the gate-stone are still ''in situ
''In situ'' (; often not italicized in English) is a Latin phrase that translates literally to "on site" or "in position." It can mean "locally", "on site", "on the premises", or "in place" to describe where an event takes place and is used in ...
''; the capstone lies on top of the portals and gate-stone and slopes to the ground away from the entrance.
The dolmen has not been excavated. A nearby fourth upright stone stands close by and might be the remains of a forecourt.
References
{{wiktionarypar, dolmen Archaeological sites in County Carlow Buildings and structures in Carlow (town) Dolmens in Ireland National Monuments in County Carlow Tombs in the Republic of Ireland