Fulacht fia

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in a very boggy area on a small headland jutting S into Coolmeen Lake. An oval mound of grass-covered stone (L 13.5m E-W) reported by Micheál Mac Gearailt. There is impenetrable overgrowth in the entire central area and the lake laps against the mound at S. A possible trough area can be noted at E beneath the growth. Low bank-like features at N and E may represent disturbance. Some blackened friable stone was evident. This appears to be the location of a fulacht fia note by the Discovery Programme at ITM 552992, 667003. It was described as ‘Sited on edge of Lough Coolmeen. Large noticeable mound of stone (sandstone) which is firecracked. Length is 14m, width is 4.5m. At its highest it measures 1.2m, stepping down 0.7m where it plateaus and steps down a further 0.5m again’. No monument was found at that location and so the mound at the NE edge of the lake seems to be the monument in question. Coolmeen Lake has been of interest at several periods in history. The 14th-century Caithréim Thoirdealbhaigh notes that Lochlainn McNamara was beheaded at Coolmeen and his head and body buried separately (Hayes O’Grady 1929, ii, 56). The location of that burial is not known.

The following images have been uploaded:
CL052-076----_01.jpg View of fulacht fia from SW.
CL052-076----_02.jpg View from S.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 10 June 2019

References

Hayes O'Grady, Standish (ed. & transl.) 1929 Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh by Seán (mac Ruaidhrí) Mac Craith. London. Irish Texts Society.