Barrow - ring-barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in a natural amphitheatre bounded to N and E by a curving ridge with the Hell River immediately to the SW. Described as a ‘true mote’ by Westropp (1900-02, 446), named ‘Cregnakeeroge Fort (Mound of Magh Adhair)’ on the 1921 OS 6-inch map, listed as ‘Enclosure’ in the SMR (1992) and the RMP (1996) and noted as a possible barrow by Condit and Grogan (2000, 23-4). Herity (1993, 144) remarks that the archaeological evidence at Magh Adhair places it with little doubt in the prehistoric period. The true nature of the mound is unknown as it remains unexcavated but its use as an inauguration site (CL034-095007-) is well documented. A subcircular grass and scrub-covered mound (dims. of top 26m N-S; 22m E-W; base 37m N-S; H 3.1m at S to 5.5m at N) which is flat-topped, but sloping down to the S (H 1.3m). A stone revetment (H 0.1-0.3m) lines the top edge externally N-ESE. The mound is surrounded by a fosse (Wth of top 7m; Wth of base 2.8-3.3m) with an outer bank of earth and stone (Wth 4-8m; int. H 0.5-1.5m; ext. H 0.5-1.5m). A causeway (Wth 5m; H 1-1.4m) of earth flanked with stone facing crosses the fosse at SW. A stone-lined bank at N (L 1.2m) with stone facing at W (H 1m) may represent a second causeway across the fosse. Condit and O’Sullivan (1998) note that the flat top and possible entrance features are likely to be medieval modifications to the probable original Bronze Age burial mound.
This is one of a number of monuments in the immediate area dating from prehistory to the medieval period. A cairn (CL034-095004-) lies 7m to the W, a bullaun stone (CL034-095003-) with quartzite inclusions lies 27m to the NW and a standing stone (CL034-095005-) is 70m to the W. A rath (CL034-095008-) is 36m to NW with a conjoined D-shaped enclosure (CL034-095009-) and a number of field boundaries (CL034-095010-) are visible c. 7m N of these enclosures (visible on Google Earth satellite image taken 5 February 2009, accessed 4 March 2015). Grogan and Condit (2000, 23-4) note both the barrow-like morphology and the presence of the stone with quartzite inclusions to the NW. They cite barrows at Glennagross (CL052-064003-) and Carrownanelly (CL042-004001-) in the same region that also have small standing stones with quartzite inclusions close to the perimeter of their outer banks.

Magh Adhair is a national monument in state care, no. 224.

The following images have been uploaded:

CL034-095001-_01.jpg View of mound from NW with bullaun stone CL034-095003- in foreground.
CL034-095001-_02.jpg View of mound from E.
CL034-095001-_03.jpg View from W.
CL034-095001-_04.jpg View from SW.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 11 July 2018

References

FitzPatrick, E. 2004 Royal inauguration in Gaelic Ireland c.1100-1600: a cultural landscape study. Studies in Celtic History 22. Woodbridge. The Boydell Press.

Herity, M. 1993 Motes and Mounds at Royal Sites in Ireland: Raith Airthir, Meath. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 23, 127-51.

Grogan, E. and Condit, T. 2000 The funerary landscape of Clare in space and time. In Ó Murchadha, C. (ed.) County Clare Studies: essays in memory of Gerald O'Connell, Seán Ó Murchadha, Thomas Coffey and Pat Flynn. Ennis. The Clare Archaeological and Historical Society, 23-4.

Condit, T. and O'Sullivan, A. 1998 Magh Adhair – a ritual and inauguration complex in south-east Clare, Heritage Guide no. 2, Archaeology Ireland, Bray.

Westropp, T.J. 1900-02 The cahers of county Clare: their names, features, and bibliography. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy Series 3, vol. 6, 415-49.