Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Enclosure
Sallaghagrane, County Donegal, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Sallaghagrane
- County
- Donegal
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 54.94552, -7.74890
- SMR number
- DG053-047----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1881 "Ireland to Illustrate the Military Condition of the Country." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
This enclosure, now lying beneath a sports complex, was first recorded in 2001, at which time it was located in level, lowlying pasture. The River Swilly is 100m to S. In 2001 it was evident as a low, circular platform (41.5m NNW-SSE; 40m ENE-WSW) defined by a broad scarp (Wth 1.1-2.4m; H 0.2−0.6m). At the upper edge of the scarp there were ephemeral traces of a levelled bank, and at the foot of the scarp there were traces of an infilled fosse. The fosse was visible at E as a waterlogged depression (Wth 7m; D 0.25m), but for most of the circuit it could be traced only as a surface cropmark (Wth 3m). There was slight evidence of a possible counterscarp bank (Wth c. 4m) outside the fosse. The centre of the platform appeared slightly dished in profile. Levelled remnants of a NNW-SSE field boundary bisected the enclosure, with the outline of a second levelled bank extending at right angles through the NNE quadrant.
In February 2002 the enclosure was archaeologically tested in advance of the construction of the sports complex (Walsh 2002). Development ground works in the immediate vicinity of the enclosure prevented testing of the enclosing fosse, but three machine-cut test trenches were excavated in the interior of the enclosure. The stratigrapy consisted of ‘bog-land deposits over natural clay’, with a lens of charcoal noted in two trenches; no artefacts were found, and insufficient definitive archaeological evidence was recovered to determine the nature of the site. (Walsh 2002, 5-7). As part of the development plan, the location was covered with terram, and the ground level raised by 0.5m, thus preserving the enclosure from further disturbance (Walsh 2002, 8).
Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy
Date of revised upload: 4 January 2018
References
Walsh, F. 2002 Archaeological assessment at sports complex Ballymacool, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal on behalf of Letterkenny Urban District Council. 18th February 2002. Unpublished report submitted to NMS on 4th March 2002. Licence no. 02E0181
Nearby in the register
- Water mill - unclassifiedunder 1 mi
- Bridgeunder 1 mi
- Souterrainunder 1 mi
- Standing stoneunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.