Mount Venus
Encyclopedia
Mount Venus is a sacred megalithic site in Edmondstown
, County Dublin
, Ireland
on the Mount Venus Road. It is a national heritage site.
It has been described by Borlase
as one of the most magnificent in the world. It encompasses a massive cap stone weighing in at 44 tons. It is partly collapsed on its supports and overgrown. The capstone lies against a single large upright megalith
.
When it was complete it would have been a 15 ft (4.6 m). high chamber entrance.
Only one of the two great portal stones survives upright. The capstone has fallen and leans on this portal stone. The other portal stone (15 feet long) lies next to the monument. A third dressed stone 4 metres long by 1 metre wide lies in front.
Borlase believed this to be a distinct class of tomb - an earth-fast dolmen
, so-called from the capstone
's contact with the ground at the back (another example being Howth
dolmen).
Access to this megalith is through a gap in a hedge beside the DSPCA
on a site which was once a golf course.
Edmondstown
Edmondstown is an area in South Dublin. It situated on the R116 regional road, south of Ballyboden and north of Rockbrook, in the valley of the Oewdoher River. Edmondstown National School is a senior primary school which serves the local area. The school principal is Mr.Damien Burke.The school...
, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on the Mount Venus Road. It is a national heritage site.
It has been described by Borlase
Borlase
Borlase may refer to:An ancient family originally of French extraction and named Taellifer/Telfer. They came to England in the reign of Henry III and settled in the parish of St Wenn in Cornwall. Following the ancient Cornish tradition they adopted the name of their place of residence, Borlas, as...
as one of the most magnificent in the world. It encompasses a massive cap stone weighing in at 44 tons. It is partly collapsed on its supports and overgrown. The capstone lies against a single large upright megalith
Megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...
.
When it was complete it would have been a 15 ft (4.6 m). high chamber entrance.
Only one of the two great portal stones survives upright. The capstone has fallen and leans on this portal stone. The other portal stone (15 feet long) lies next to the monument. A third dressed stone 4 metres long by 1 metre wide lies in front.
Borlase believed this to be a distinct class of tomb - an earth-fast dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
, so-called from the capstone
Capstone
Capstone may refer to:* Coping , one of the finishing or protective stones that form the top of an exterior masonry wall or building* Capstone , a US government project about cryptographic standards...
's contact with the ground at the back (another example being Howth
Howth
Howth is an area in Fingal County near Dublin city in Ireland. Originally just a small fishing village, Howth with its surrounding rural district is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside, all on the peninsula of Howth Head. The only...
dolmen).
Access to this megalith is through a gap in a hedge beside the DSPCA
DSPCA
The Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a registered charity, established in 1840 to prevent cruelty to animals and is now Ireland's largest animal welfare organisation.-Activity:...
on a site which was once a golf course.