Cursus

The National Monuments Service's description

On the NW slope of Slievebawn. A possible cursus (L c. 270m) identified on OSI aerial (2005 ed.) consisting of two parallel banks or grass/heather/turf-covered walls (Wth 2-2.6m; H 0.2-0.8m) composed of schist and quartz (pers. comm. Ivor Kenny, 10 July 2014). The lower portion of the monument runs NW-SE for c. 160m and is 31m wide, while the upper portion changes direction slightly, running NNW-SSE for c. 113m and is slightly narrower, 22m wide. The lower portion of the cursus is aligned with a circular cairn (CW020-016----) on the summit of the mountain. This cairn is c. 135m SE of the SE end of the monument. The upper portion of the cursus is aligned with a cairn (CW023-007----/WX008-001----) 3km to the SE on the summit of Mount Leinster, on the Carlow-Wexford border. There is another possible cursus (CW020-027----) c. 1.7km to the E-ESE in the townland of Coolasnaghta. The monument is similar to a possible cursus (WI027-089----) on Keadeen Mountain, Co. Wicklow and one on Brewel Hill (KD032-058----) in Co. Kildare. (Kenny 2014)

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 28 July 2014

References

Kenny, I. 2014 Another cursus comes to light. Archaeology Ireland 28 (3), 21-5.