Hilltop enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

On the W edge of the Blackstairs mountain range. Enclosing the summit of a prominent hill (OD 235m) with extensive views over the valley of the River Barrow to the W and the Blackstairs are visible on the horizon to the N, E and S (Redmond 2020, 37). A large enclosure (diam. c. 75m N-S; c. 80m E-W) defined along the NW sector by a grass-covered bank (overall Wth 5.6m; int. H 0.3m; ext. H 1.2m) of earth and stones, including several large boulders, several standing upright. A detailed survey of the enclosure was carried out by Redmond (2020, 37-41) and the resulting digital elevation model (ibid. fig. 8, 41), clearly shows the full extent of the monument. Rock art (CW023-013---) is to be found c. 130m NW of the hilltop enclosure, on an earth-fast boulder. It is decorated with eight groups of concentric circles (Hughes 1968, 62-3).

See attached:
KK023-014----_01 Digital Elevation Model by James Redmond (2020, fig. 8, 41).

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of revised upload: 2 February 2021

References

Hughes, E. W. 1968 The Rathgeran Stone. Old Kilkenny Review 20, 62-3.

Redmond, J. 2020 Mind the gap? Archaeology Ireland, 35, no. 1, 37-41.