Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located on a low hill at the landward end of a peninsula, which extends for c. 500m to W into the NE end of Lough Conn. The peninsula is defined on it N side by the mouth of the River Deel, which lies c. 200m to NW of the enclosure, and on it S side by a small bay, c. 150m S of the enclosure.
This monument is shown as a roughly circular enclosure on the 1838 OS 6-inch maps. It consists of a subcircular area (diam. c. 60m) defined by an earthen bank, which has been boxed into a later rectangular field, with field fences clipping the E, S and W sides of the enclosure. The enclosing bank and the interior are largely engulfed in dense thorn bushes and brambles, making inspection difficult. Where it can be examined, the bank (Wth 3-4m; int. H 0.3-0.6m; ext. H 0.45m at N, 1m at W) appears as a broad, rather degraded earthen rise. It survives in an arc SW–NE, with a later N–S field fence merging with its external face at W. At E it is truncated by a N–S property fence. At SE a short arc of poorly defined scarp appears to continue the original circuit of the bank, and at S the bank is again truncated by, or possibly subsumed into, an E–W property fence which borders a road; a slight kink or curve in the road indicates that it partly respects the curve of the enclosure.
The interior appears to be relatively level. Approximately three quarters of it, including the W, N and centre, is obscured by overgrowth. A roughly D-shaped depression (10m NE–SW; 4m NW–SE; D 0.4m) can be discerned abutting the inner face of the bank at W, and another irregular-shaped depression (max. dim. c. 10-12m; D c. 0.4-0.6m) is evident roughly in the centre of the interior. In the SW quadrant, which is largely free of overgrowth, there are two roughly circular heaps of field clearance stones, one at SW (diam. 2m) and one at S (diam. 4m). A subcircular feature/possible enclosure (MA038-017001-) (diam. c. 20m) is shown on the 1838 OS 6-inch map within the interior, abutting the bank at SE–S; it is not shown on the 1922 map, and is not now evident at ground level.

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 17 July 2019