Cairn - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated at the W end of the W summit of Turlough Hill in an area of exposed karst limestone with spectacular views over Galway Bay, SE Galway and NE Clare. A subcircular cairn (diam. 14m N-S; 12.1m E-W; H 3m at W to 3.8m at N) revetted externally by thin horizontally coursed limestone blocks (L 1m; H 0.3m) best seen at N. The cairn is partially collapsed but it is clear that it once had vertical sides. The upper E portion of the cairn has been robbed out and possible corbelling is evident. The upper surface of the cairn is oval in plan (4.8m E-W; 4.3m N-S) and carries two small recently constructed cairns (H 1m). Some 160 hut sites (CL006-017001-) are spread all across the summit of the hill but they are placed some distance back from the cairn. A multivallate enclosure/labyrinth-type structure (CL003-053----) is on the E end of the summit with some of the hut sites around it at a distance. (Bergh 2008; Bergh, Ó Maoldúin and McCarthy 2016)

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 20 December 2017

References

Bergh, S., Ó Maoldúin, R. and McCarthy, N. 2016 The archaeology of Turlough Hill. In The Irish Quaternary Association Field Guide No. 33, 18-25

Bergh, S. 2008 Surveying Turlough Hill. In Comber, M. and Jones, C. (compilers) Burren landscape and settlement. An Irish National Strategic Archaeolgical Research (INSTAR) project, 22-30. The Heritage Council.