Ceremonial enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

The domed summit of this saddle-backed ridge contains a barrow cemetery, which is partly enclosed by a levelled bank with a contiguous silted up internal fosse (ext. dims. 330m N-S; 350m E-W). Originally identified from aerial photographs (Keeling 1983, 71-4). More recent aerial coverage of the monument shows evidence for a possible inner palisade trench along the SW and SE quadrants (OS 8/9862).
Geophysical survey (Licence no. 13R084) was undertaken at the site by the Discovery Programme as part of the LIARI project. It uncovered a significant enclosure fosse (2-5m in width) that enclosed the summit of the hill a total of 8.5 hectares. A natural spring emanating within an arc-shaped depression that extends from the E side of the enclosure appears to have been deliberately subsumed within the enclosure boundary. There is a significant break is to SW where the fosse is substituted by up to three discontinuous anomalies, which mark the line of a former field division shown on the Ordnance Survey maps (1837, 1938). Extensive previously unknown archaeological features including ring-ditches and pits have been identified by the survey both inside and surrounding the hilltop enclosure (Dowling 2015, 8).

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Updated by: Christine Baker

Date of upload: 30 January 2015

References

Dowling, G. 2015 Geophysical investigations at Knockbrack Co. Dublin (Licence no. 13R084). Unpublished report submitted to the National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht