Field system

The National Monuments Service's description

In reclaimed pasture, located on the 'Supposed Site of Temaír Erann', which was the ancient cemetery of the Ernai tribe on Slievereagh (Sliabh Riabhach) (Westropp 1919, 9; Westropp 1917-19, 179; Westropp 1918, 111) and associated with an archaeological complex (LI048-034006/042-). Excavations carried out by Ó Ríordáin (1940, 140-145) between 1934-5 revealed sections of the field system and were described as following; ‘Our attention was in the first instance directed to the traces of ancient fields connected with the Cush site by reason of the fact that on the eastern side of the Southern Group of ring-forts (LI048-034016-; 025/028-) there ran two field fences which were in approximately the same straight line as the defences of the Enclosure on the western side of the group. The southern of these two field fences joins Ring 5 [LI048-034016-] and is shown on the Ordnance Map in the same way as are the modern field fences; the northern one joins Ring 3 [LI048-034027-] and is not shown on the map, not being so well defined as the other, though comparatively easy to follow on the ground, nevertheless. Both of these fences join the long fence which runs northwards along the contour of the hill-side and which is marked as a modern field-fence on the map. When we noticed that these banks had the same general directions as the defences of the Enclosure, we were first inclined to think that we had found its counterpart in a similar, though more simply defended, enclosure on the eastern side of the ring-forts [LI048-034016-; 025/028-]. Further study of the site, however showed this to be the wrong view-point and showed that these field banks were really part of a series of such to be found in the main running parallel to these along the hillside to the north. That these field fences formed part of a great system older than the present-day system was proved by their relation to the latter. The modern field boundaries ignore the ancient earthworks. The older banks, on contrary, ignore the modern ones but respect the ring-forts. Thus we find an old field-bank crossing (or, rather, running under) the modern one on the eastern side of the field containing the Northern Group [LI048-034007/008-; 036/037]-) but stopping at the edge of Ring 8 [LI048-034037-]. Again, another ancient fence runs immediately alongside a modern one east of Ring 2 [LI048-034026-], while the modern one continues across it. We have thus got proof that this ancient field system pre-dates the present-day one but we have not yet got proof of how much older it is.
Cross-section on the old fences showed them to consist of a very low bank and a silted-up trench. The bank was found to be usually about 1½ feet [0.45m] in height above the original turf level on which it had been built. The trench beside it had on the average a depth of about three feet [0.91m]. The junction of the field-fences with the fosses of the ring-forts were investigated at various points and led to more definite results. In each case the field-fence either cut into one side of the fosse (junction of fence at east side of tumuli with Ring 7 [LI048-034008-] or stopped immediately short of the fosse ( Ring 3 [LI048-034027-] and Ring 5 [ LI048-034016-]).’
Excavations of the field system in the Western field were described by Ó Ríordáin (1940, 121-124) as follows; ‘Trial cuttings to the north and south of House f [LI048-034022-] revealed completely silted-up trenches running east and west down the slope of the field. These are shown on the plan of the field. They are evidently the trenches of an early field system and the fact that two trenches appear to run parallel and close to each other at the north-western corner of the field suggests change of the field boundaries. As there was no suggestion of these trenches on the surface of the field nor of the banks which, we presume, accompanied them, it would have been too difficult a task to trace all the courses of the trenches. It was, however, evident that the field system they represented was earlier that the defences of the Enclosure, since we found, at the point of juncture of the northern trench with the corner of the fosse of the rectangle, that the red sandstone cut from the bottom of the fosse had been thrown into the trench. These trenches are again referred to in dealing with the general question of the early fields on the site later in this paper.’
Archaeological test-excavations in the W quadrant of the field system, immediately N of two urn burials (LI048-034013-/014-) were undertaken by Avril Hayes in 2002 (Licence No. 02E1619) and results summarised as following; ‘Test-trenching before a single-house development did not reveal anything of archaeological significance. The development was within the zone of potential of an archaeological complex. Four trenches were excavated across the development area, revealing a stratigraphy of dark red/brown topsoil, 0.3–0.6m deep, overlying the natural, dark grey/brown clay.’
Field system visible today as linear banks and cropmarks running perpendicular to each other on Digital Globe orthoimage taken between 2011-13 and on Google Earth orthoimages.

See attached plans from Ó Ríordáin and Google Earth orthoimages.

Compiled by: Fiona Rooney

Date of upload: 7 September 2021

References

Hayes, A. 2002 Archaeological test trenching investigations report at Cush, County Limerick Archaeological Licence Ref: 02E1619, unpublished archaeological report submitted to the National Monuments Service 11/07/2002 by Ægis Archaeology Ltd.

Westropp, T.J. 1917-19 The Earthworks, Traditions, and the Gods of South-Eastern Co. Limerick, Especially from Knocklong to Temair Erann. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature 34, 127-183.

Ó Ríordáin, S.P. 1940 Excavations at Cush, Co. Limerick (1934 and 1935). Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 45, 83-181.

Westropp, T.J. 1918 Temair Erann, an Ancient Cemetery of the Ernai on Slievereagh, County Limerick. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquities of Ireland, 111-20.

Westropp, T.J. 1919 The ancient places of assembly in the counties Limerick and Clare. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 49, 1-24.