Field system

The National Monuments Service's description

On the S and E-facing slope of Rathcroghan ridge and the central part of the unified Rathcroghan field system. An area of c. 4 square km (c. 1.5 sq. miles) has a relict field system defined by earthen banks creating large rectangular fields (dims c. 300-400m x c. 100-200m) laid out in a grid pattern, an arrangement followed by the modern field system with the current and old field banks frequently running parallel to each other. The ancient system was served by four WNW-ESE roads (RO022-056034-; RO022-056058-; RO022-057021-; RO022-057052-) placed c. 800m apart, which are contemporary and clearly post-date the prehistoric features as they sometimes overlie barrows. However, they also seem to respect early medieval raths, although they do not directly serve them. The houses of the dispersed settlement (RO022-057092-) near Relig na Rí are integrated with the fields, and the houses of settlement (RO02-057070-) are more concentrated and integrated with the road (RO022-057021-) suggesting that these roads and the associated field system were in use into the late Medieval period.
The roads (RO021-042014-; RO022-056002-; RO022-057061-) are straighter and narrower and run across the direction of the WNW-ESE roads. These road seem to center on Rathmore Rath (RO022-056017-), but apart from the second, they seem to take the line of important modern routes. The fields (RO022-056031-) are on the NE side of NW-SE Tulsk to Ballaghderreen road (N5). Archaeological testing (08E0867) on a relict field bank near Rathbeg barrow (RO022-057001-) produced no conclusive results but it suggests that the field system may be post-medieval in date (McCarthy 2012a). (Knox 1914, 20-1; Herity 1988)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 5 February 2013

References

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.

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

McCarthy, M. 2012a Archaeological excavation and monitoring. Corracreigh Group water scheme. M. McCarthy. Unpublished report, National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Licence no. 08E0867.