In this essay the development and role of wedge tombs in Ireland will be discussed with particular attention to their distribution, orientation, date of construction, function, their form, their folklore. as well as some detailed examples. The wedge tomb is the most widespread megalithic monument in Ireland with 505 known (O'Brien 1999, 7). Wedge graves are found throughout Ireland, but 75% are located in the western half of the country, with high concentrations in Sligo, Clare, Tipperary, Cork and Kerry (Waddell 2010, 106). The Western bias, as Jones (2007, 219) explains, may have been due to Atlantic coast connections, whereas eastern Ireland had more connections with Britain. It could also show how the wedge grave was introduced to Ireland, with early metalworkers traveling from Europe to Ireland. , bringing with them knowledge of metalwork and introducing the tradition of gallery tombs as seen in the Armorican "secret alleys" (O'Brien 1999: 11). French gallery tombs have distinct similarities with Irish corner tombs, including the presence of porticos/antechambers, septal stones, chambers, orthostatic facades and their overall gallery form (Apsimon 1986 In: O'Brien 1999, 11). the tombs are oriented towards the setting sun; a possible suggestion by Jones (2007) is that they may have functioned as an opening to the Otherworld incorporating the symbolic dichotomy of light and life versus darkness and death. Likewise, Scarre (2002: 160) mentions that these tombs put believers in contact with the supernatural and were at the heart of their beliefs. Belief in supernatural power was expressed through words and actions in ritual ceremonies, calming grave spirits and celebrating the community's endurance...... middle of paper ...... South Coast -west of Ireland. Galway, National University of Ireland.- Ó'Nualláin, S. (1991). “The builders of megalithic tombs”. In: Ryan, M. ed. The Illustrated Archeology of Ireland. Dublin, Country House.- Parker Pearson, M. (2005). Bronze Age Britain. London: BT Batsford.- Scarre, C. (2002). Monuments and landscapes in Atlantic Europe, perception and society in the Neolithic and early Bronze Age. London, Routledge.- Waddell, J. (2010). The prehistoric archeology of Ireland. Dublin, Wordwell.-Walsh, P. (1995). “Structure and deposition in Irish tombs: an open and shut affair?” In: Waddell, J. and Shee Twohig, E. eds. Ireland in the Bronze Age, Proceedings of the Dublin Conference, April 1995.” Dublin, The Stationery Office.- Zucchelli, C. (2007). Stones of Adoration, Sacred Stones and Mystical Megaliths from Ireland. Liege, The Collins Press.