Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Midden
Roeillaun (ballynakill Ph.), County Galway, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Roeillaun (ballynakill Ph.)
- County
- Galway
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.56675, -9.99641
- SMR number
- GA009-036----
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 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
This midden is located at the NW end of Roeillaun, a small abandoned tidal island, which is accessible at low tide by means of a narrow stone causeway from the mainland to the SE. It is visible along the eroding mantel of peat above the shoreline of a small coral beach (L c. 50m) but is mainly concentrated around a knoll at its NW end and the SE end of a small islet opposite it. The islet was formerly a small promontory connected to the island – as shown on the OS 6-inch maps. As a result of winter storms its neck has eroded away. The midden material consists of a layer of compacted oyster shells (D 0.2-0.3m) visible between a lower layer of boulder clay and an upper layer of shallow peat or, in places, soil and coral shell layers. Numerous oyster shells are also visible strewn about the coral beach. This monument was brought to our attention by local archaeologist Mr Michael Gibbons.
Compiled by: Olive Alcock with information supplied by Mr Michael Gibbons
Date of upload: 28 May 2019
Nearby in the register
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Children's burial groundunder 1 mi
- Megalithic tomb - unclassified1 mi
- Children's burial ground1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.