Barrow - ring-barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

In wet pasture, 5m E of a tributary of the Camoge River. A second ring-barrow (LI023-067002-) lies 4m to S. Not depicted on OSi historic maps. Identified by Ó Ríordáin and MacDermott (1949, 127) as a ring-barrow (Ballingoola II) and described as a level circular-shaped area (diam. 6m) defined by a shallow ditch and the remains of an outer bank which was only discernible in places. Excavated by MacDermott and described as following; The sites, which consisted of a level space enclosed by a shallow ditch and a very slight outer bank (only discernible in places), were approximately of equal size 6 metres in diameter from outside of ditch to outside of
ditch. Their centres were 10 metres apart. Before excavation the ditch of Site I (the southern barrow) was most clearly marked at the south side and traces of an outer bank were discernible at the south and south-east, rising up at the south-east towards the edge of a modern field-ditch which bordered on the sites at this side. The outer bank was again visible at the north
where the ground rose and fell again to leave a slight depression between Sites I and II. The ditch of Site II was clearly marked at the south, north and west, and on the west the outer bank could also be traced. At the east the ditch was barely visible and there was no trace of a bank.
Outside the barrows, to the east, the ground sloped towards a depression caused by an ancient river bed which could be also traced round the south of Barrow I. On removal of the sod from Site II, charcoal spreads were again noted. In the south-east quadrant a few fragments of pottery and stone-axe chips were found in a stony charcoal spread just outside the ditch at the east. This spread formed part of a raised stony area which appeared at the north east of the barrow and which contained much charcoal. Extensions were cut to determine the extent of the burnt material and a widespread stony area was revealed containing thick deposits of charcoal and burnt bone. A considerable quantity of pottery, Beaker and Neolithic in type, was found in this area, also numerous flints and some fragments of stone axes. A setting of stones indicating a hearth site overlay a pit with a heavy charcoal content in which pottery and flints were found to a depth of 44 cm. Another pit, 35 cm. deep, also contained much charcoal and burnt bone' (Ó Ríordáin and MacDermott 1949, 139-42).
Monument is not visible on Digital Globe orthophotos taken 2011-13 or on Google Earth orthoimages taken 28/06/2018.

See attached sketch plan of barrow and location map showing barrow marked II after Ó Ríordáin and MacDermott 1949.

Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly

Date of upload: 29 August 2020

References

Ó Ríordáin, S.P. and MacDermott, M. 1949 Lough Gur Excavations: Three marsh-land habitation sites. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 79, 126-45.