Mound

The National Monuments Service's description

On the highest point of an E-W running esker ridge. A small subcircular mound (7.5m N-S; 6.5m E-W; H 1.3m), threatened by quarrying, was excavated by Rynne (1985, 24). It consisted of a 'cairn-like core covered with earth and stones and contained within a low, rough kerb forming three sides of a square, open on the NE side'. Finds included animal bones, oyster shells, iron, bronze and glass fragments and a decorated bone plaque. Rynne (ibid.) proposed a late-medieval date for this 'enigmatic structure', of which no visible surface trace survives. (Knox 1917-18, 119-20, no. 22I; Cody 1989, 380-81, no. 165)

Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG

Date of upload: 17 July 2019

References

Cody, E. 1989 An archaeological survey of the barony of Athenry, Co. Galway. Unpublished MA thesis, University College Galway.

Knox, H.T. 1917-18 Ballygurraun and Raheen group of works in earth and stone. Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 10, 101-124.

Rynne, E. 1985 Ballydavid South. In C. Cotter (ed.), Excavations 1985: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 24. Dublin. Irish Academic Publications.