Earthwork

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, 12m NE of Glounnacroghery Stream, in NE quadrant of an archaeological complex (LI048-034001/035-), enclosure (LI048-034002-) lies 50m to the NW. Not marked on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map. Depicted on the 1897 ed. OSi 25-inch map as a raised sub-rectangular shaped platform (dims. c. 23m NW-SE; 18m NE-SW) defined by a scarp. Earthwork described by Ó Ríordáin (1940, 86) as one of three forts in the townland of Cush, consisting of ‘the raised-centre, flat top kind’. Westropp (1918, 119) recorded this as one of ‘the rings to either side of the gully of Glounnacroghera.’ Outline of circular-shaped earthwork defined by a scarp with an external bank visible on oblique aerial photograph (CUCAP BGK051) taken 17/07/1971. Monument visible as a sub-rectangular shaped area defined by a scarp with fosse, intersected at N by a linear cropmark running NW-SE on Digital Globe orthoimage taken between 2011-13 and on Google Earth orthoimages. The linear cropmark at N is a relic post-1700 relic field boundary depicted on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map. A rectangular-shaped cropmark (dims. c. 8m NW-SE; 18m NE-SW) is visible to the E of the earthwork on OSi orthophotograph taken between 2005-2012.

See attached plan from Ó Ríordáin, Google Earth orthoimages and CUCAP oblique aerial photograph.

Compiled by: Fiona Rooney

Date of upload: 8 September 2021

References

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

CUCAP - Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Unit for Landscape Modelling, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge. See:https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com

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.