Road - road/trackway

The National Monuments Service's description

On the N-facing slope of Rathcroghan ridge. A roadway (Wth c. 5-10m) defined by earth and stone banks runs W from the ring-barrow (RO0225038-) (L c. 850m), and overlies the two outer enclosing banks of barrow (RO02256035-). Towards its W end it is crossed by a N-S road (RO022-056033-), which continues N (L c. 100m) almost as far as Courtmoyle rath (RO022-056028-), where it turns E (L c. 100m). This E-W road continued W beyond the junction (L c. 300m), but archaeological testing (02E0026) c. 150-300m W of its visible W end failed to produce any evidence of its continuation in that direction (Read 2004j). The N-S road may have continued further N, to the E of Courtmoyle, and also further S. Large rectangular fields (RO022-056032-) are attached to these roads covering an area of c. 20 ha, and pits (dims c. 3m-10m x c. 2m; D 0.5m), frequently aligned with the roads, abound in the area. (Knox 1914a, 20-3; 1918, 157-9; Herity 1983, 130-1; 1988, 72, Toberrory 6; Waddell 1983, 39, No. 37)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

References

Waddell, J. 1983 Rathcroghan - a royal site in Connaught. Journal of Irish Archaeology 1, 21-46.

Read, C. 2004j Toberrory: no archaeological significance. In I. Bennett (ed.), Excavations 2002: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 460, No. 1629. Bray. Wordwell.

Knox, H.T. 1914 Ruins of Cruachain Ai. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 44, 1-50.

Herity, M. 1983 A survey of the royal site of Cruachain in Connacht, 1. Introduction, the monuments and topography. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 113, 121-42.

Herity, M. 1988 A survey of the royal sites of Cruachain in Connacht Roscommon. IV. Ancient field systems at Rathcroghan and Carnfreee. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 117-118, 67-84.