Ecclesiastical enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated at the bottom of the N-facing slope of a drumlin c. 80m from the S bank of the Boyle River linking Lough Eidin to the River Shannon c. 600m to the E. Wakeman (1887-8, 107) records that the church of Tumna (RO007-087001-) is surrounded by circular wall of earth and stone which was just traceable. Nothing of this feature can be seen now, but the existence of this enclosure (dims c. 130m E-W; c. 100m N-S) centred on the graveyard has been confirmed by a LiDAR survey dataset commissioned by Leitrim County Council and the National Roads Authority, which was interpreted by Susan Curran as part of an M.A. thesis with University College Dublin.
Further magnetic gradiometry and earth resistance surveys concentrating within the ecclesiastical enclosure but extending outside it to the S confirmed its perimeter S-SW. In addition numerous plots (dims c. 50m x c. 20m) defined by stony linear features were noted in the area N and NE of the graveyard, and these correspond closely to boundaries visible on the LiDAR images. The plots are confined to the area within the ecclesiastical enclosure but the area S of the graveyard is rather barren and may have suffered greater agricultural disturbance. In addition two parallel lines of high resistance features, indicating stone features placed c. 7-14m apart (L c. 40m) extend NE from a well that is marked on the 1914 edition of the OS 6-inch map (Curran 2015, 8-11).

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of revised upload: 8 June 2018

References

Curran, S. 2015 Geophysical survey report: Tumna, Co. Roscommon. RMP: RO007-087001- / 002- / 003- / 004- / 005-; Licence No.: 15R0081. Unpublished report, Author

Wakeman, W.F. 1887-8 On a cromlech-like altar, or monument, at Tumna, Co. Roscommon. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 18, 107-11.