Barrow - ring-barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

On a short, gentle, S-facing slope, overgrown with whins. Described by O'Riordáin (1950, 277: Site E1; scaled section at W Plate XXVII) as an irregular area, 'enclosed by a bank, outside which a slight ditch and low bank are discernible. Interior is sub-divided by banks, the plan of which is not clear as much of the area is overgrown'. A rectangular area (int. dims. L 51.5m E-W; Wth 41m) is defined by a low earthen bank (Wth 4.5m; int H 0.5m; ext H 0.7m) with very faint traces of an outer fosse (Wth 0.9m; D 0.1m) at E. There is an entrance gap (Wth 2.4m) at S. The interior falls 1.5m N-S and a possible ringbarrow lies in the SW sector, where a small circular area (diam. 5.3m) is defined by a broad, shallow fosse (Wth 3.1m at N; D 0.3m) and a low outer earthen bank (Wth 4m; H 0.3-0.8m), N-S. The W-half of the monument has been disturbed and three short lengths of later field banks run from the larger enclosure's bank to converge on the barrow at SE, SW and NW. The larger enclosure may be a later feature and a second ringbarrow (KD022-065001-) lies 10m to the S. The monument is visible on a 1970 aerial photograph (CUCAP BDU 21) which also shows up to 13 small circular enclosures (est. av. diam. 6-10m) in its immediate vicinity; some may be ringbarrows/ringditches, but some are almost certainly lunging rings. The group has been designated KD022-065----.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 10 June 2011

References

Ó Ríordáin 1950, S.P. 1950 Excavation of some earthworks on the Curragh, Co. Kildare. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 53 C 2, 249-77.