Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Field system
Knockfennell, County Limerick, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Knockfennell
- County
- Limerick
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 52.52382, -8.52989
- SMR number
- LI032-014001-
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
4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1904 · Sheet 13. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
In rocky pasture on the summit and around Knockfennell Hill overlooking and adjacent to Lough Gur which forms the S boundary of the hill. The field system surrounds three enclosures (LI032-014006-\183\338----); two hut sites (LI032-014007/8-); a ring cairn (LI032-014009-) and a cave site (LI032-281----). The field system may be an extension of a similar relic field system (LI032-014004-) 150m to SW. Relic field boundaries that are likely to be part of the this system are also located on the E slope of Knockfennell Hill 100m NE of the Red Cellar Cave (LI032-281-).
The field system is partially depicted on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map but is later absent completely from the 1897 ed. OSi 25-inch map and the Cassini OSi 6-inch map. The field boundaries are visible on the OSi orthoimages taken 2005-12 and on Digital Globe orthoimages taken 2011-2013. Identified as a relic field systems by Ó Ríordáin (1954, 458) who describes ‘cultivation terraces in the valley below Knockfennell’ and O’Kelly (1978, 27, 30) who note field systems around the ringfort (LI032-014003-), although these field systems (LI032-014004-) are recorded separately.
The rectangular field system consists of a spine boundary wall curving and extending NE-SW from enclosure (LI032-014006-) across the hillside with collapsed boundaries extending off it N to the townland boundary with Grange and S to the lakeside (ext. dims. 430m NE-SW; 320m NW-SE). Two fields with evidence for spade cultivation are located immediately NE of the enclosure (LI032-014006). The field system is visible on oblique aerial photographs taken 14/07/1966 (CUCAP APC080) and on Google Earth orthoimages taken 05/04/2006; 25/03/2017; 20/03/2018 and 20/09/2020.
See attached CUCAP APC080 and Google Earth orthoimages
Compiled by: Edmond O’Donovan
Date of upload: 4 November 2020
References
O'Kelly, M.J., and O'Kelly, C. 1978 Illustrated guide to Lough Gur, Co. Limerick. Cork. Author.
Ó Ríordáin, S.P. 1954 Lough Gur excavations: Neolithic and Bronze Age houses on Knockadoon. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 56C, 297-460.
CUCAP - Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Unit for Landscape Modelling, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge. See:https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com
Nearby in the register
- Hut siteunder 1 mi
- Hut siteunder 1 mi
- Cairn - ring-cairnunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.