Cairn - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

On top of a hill in Curraghbinny wood at E tip of E-W ridge, overlooking Cork Harbour to E and N and Owenboy river valley to W. Excavated in 1932 by O Ríordáin (1933, 80-4) who found a cairn of stone enclosed by rough dry-stone wall, an inner arc of stones running from E to W and a platform of clay with embedded stones (c. 9ft x 4ft; H 41/2in) in the centre where he suggested inhumation took place. He also noted a circle of loose stones (diam. 3 ft) outside of, and adjoining outer circle on E side; very fragmentary cremated human bone and charcoal between stones of circle on SE side; post hole near centre. The remains had never been backfilled at the end of the excavation. In the ensuing years the boulder kerb and inner arc of stones together with the spoil heaps had become overgrown with scrub and brambles. The monument was taken into State Care in 1984 and the cairn was reinstated in July 1998 (see attached images). A reappraisal of the evidence would suggest that the circle of boulders and the drystone 'revetment' wall, traces of which were found on the boulders, was probably an internal feature and that the cairn originally extended beyond it.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 2: East and South Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1994). In this instance the entry has been revised and updated.

CO099-023----_01.jpg. View of cairn prior to reinstatement (1998).
CO099-023----_02.jpg. View of cairn prior to reinstatement (1998).
CO099-023----_03.jpg. View of cairn after initial removal of scrub prior to reinstatement (1998).
CO099-023----_04.jpg. View of cairn on completion of the reinstatement (1998).

Updated by: Paul Walsh

Date of upload: 14 November 2014