Crannog

The National Monuments Service's description

The crannóg known as 'Bolin Island' is in the NE corner of Lough Gur 40m N of the old shore linked by marshy ground. Knockadoon Peninsula lies to the SW. The site is located within an area of dense archaeological activity dating principally from the Neolithic and Bronze Age up to the present day around the lake (Cleary 2018). A dovecote (LI032-022029-) is located 100m to SSW. The Early Medieval settlement site known as the ‘Spectacles’ at Drumlaegh (LI032-014012-) is located 210m to NNE; a Middle Bronze Age house site (LI032-014014-) and a Food Vessel Burial (LI032-014013-) were uncovered and excavated 145m to NE.
The crannóg is annotated 'Boilin Island' on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map. Drainage in the mid-19th century reduced the lake level by 1.5m. The island is visible as a circular island on the OSi orthoimage taken 2005-12 and on Digital Globe orthoimages taken 2011-2013 (ext. diam. 35m N-S; 34m E-W).
A crannóg in Lough Gur is referenced in the medieval text Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh (Todd 1867, 141). Archaeologists and antiquarians have referenced crannóga in the lake (O'Kelly and O'Kelly, 1978, 14; Ó Ríordáin 1953/4, 459) although it is unclear in some instances (Wood-Martin, 1886, 6, 25, 26 and 83) whether they are describing Boilin Island (LI032-027----), Garret Island (LI032-018----) or Crock Island (LI032-012----). Boilin Island was first described by O’Kelly (1944, 29) as ‘no longer a complete island. Since the partial drainage of the lake it has become connected to the mainland on the S side. It was constructed by dropping boulders into the water in the form of a circle, and when these came to the surface, the central hollow was filled up with layers of brush wood and earth, the overall diameter is 90 feet (27.43m)’. Wood-Martin has identified many high status Bronze Age and later finds from the lake such as the Lough Gur shield and a gold decorated spear head (ibid., 218, 264 and 219). The outline of a tree and scrub-covered island stands close to the shoreline where winter high water separates the site from the lakeshore visible on Google Earth orthoimages 05/04/2006 and 28/06/2018.

See attached Google Earth orthoimages

Compiled by: Edmond O’Donovan

Date of upload: 13 November 2020

References

Todd, J. H. (ed. and trans.) 1867 Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh. The war of the Gaedhil with the Gall, or the invasion of Ireland by the Danes and other Norsemen. London.

O'Kelly, M.J. 1944 A survey of the antiquities in the barony of Small County, Co. Limerick. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 4, 16-53.

O'Kelly, M.J., and O'Kelly, C. 1978 Illustrated guide to Lough Gur, Co. Limerick. Cork. Author.

Cleary, R. 2018 The archaeology of Lough Gur. Dublin. Wordwell.

Wood-Martin, W.G. 1886 (Reprint 1983) The lake dwellings of Ireland: or ancient lacustrine habitations of Erin, commonly called crannogs. Dublin. Hodges, Figgis and Co.