Mound

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a small N-S ridge on the plateau of Rathcroghan, and within the ceremonial enclosure (RO022-057012-). It was first identified and named 'Rathcroghan' by the antiquarian Charles O'Conor of Belanagare (RO015-048----) who thought it was an inauguration place of the O'Conor kings, but there no evidence to support this (FitzPatrick 2004, 48-9, 82). The name, which was renowned as the cemetery of Kings, is more properly applied to the prehistoric barrows of a wider district, largely to the S and E of this mound, but within c. 1.5km of it. The mound is a circular slightly domed, grass-covered platform (diam. of top 65m E-W; 65m N-S; diam. of base c. 90m E-W; c. 85m N-S; H c. 3.5m at NE to c. 6.5m at S). Ramps rise up the sides at W and E, giving access to the summit where historically there was a small barrow (RO022-057011-).

Geophysical survey confirms that the mound is largely artificial, although built on a slight N-S glacial ridge which may lie on the W side of the mound (Waddell et al. 2009, 178-82, 193-4). One of the most deeply buried features is a discontinuity of a resistant material, probably bedrock, at the perimeter of the mound. This may represent a large, wide ditch creating an enclosure (diam. c. 80m) (ibid. 182). Within this, and perhaps related to it, are two concentric walls, now buried deep within the mound. Both appear to be composed of stone, but the inner (ext. diam. c. 22m) is not as deeply buried as the outer (ext. diam. c. 30m), suggesting that it is on a rise (ibid.183-5). Their function is not known, but they are likely to have defended a settlement originally. These walls survive to a height of c. 2m, and were crucial to the raising of the mound to something near its present height, creating a platform on which a series of structures were built.

These consist of a complex of overlapping circular enclosures close to the surface. There is a large enclosure composed of a double ring of post-pits (ext. diam. 32m; int. diam. 28m). The area within has anomalies consistent with post-pits, but whether this represents a roofed structure is uncertain. Within this, but placed to the E of centre is a second enclosure (diam. 22m) composed of a single slot-trench or fosse with an distinct entrance at WNW. There are also traces of a third enclosure eccentrically placed between the other two, and there is a possible fourth within them all. The NE quadrant in every instance is poorly defined, and there may be entrance features in this sector. The high magnetic susceptibility values recorded suggest that some of these features, perhaps the double post-ring, might have been burnt. Just to the NE of these is a single slot-trench (diam. 12m). (ibid. 162-7, 175-7)

The E and W ramps may have played a role in the later use of the mound. The E ramp in particular seems to connect the E sector of the structures beneath the surface on the summit with the avenue (RO022-057093-) extending off to the ESE of the mound (ibid. 174). A detailed topographical survey of the mound surface notes a slight platform (diam. c. 30m) circumscribed by faint traces of a bank in the surface of the mound, which is likely to represent a barrow-like feature on which the mound (RO022-057011-), noted in the 18th century, was built. This survey also records rill-like features radiating from the centre (ibid. 156-8, 176-7).

Outside the central features within the summit there are more nebulous traces of circular features, particularly to the SE, SW and NW (ibid. 167-171). Encircling the mound close to its base, and probably relating to its final period of use, is a slot-trench feature (diam. 85m E-W; 81m N-S) which may have had a palisade with a narrow entrance at E or a retaining wall for the mound. Evidence of a wide concentric outer feature, perhaps a fosse, were found outside this at SE (ibid. 162-4, 172-4).

The mound is just E of the centre of the ceremonial enclosure (RO022-057012-), and a number of other monuments that relate to the mound are within the ceremonial enclosure. The standing stone (RO022-057006-) is c. 100m to the NW with mound barrow (RO022-057007-) c. 40m to its SE, and standing stone (RO022-057008-) is c. 100m to the N. Barrows (RO022-057013-) and (RO-022-057014-) are c. 70m to the E, and barrows (RO022-056015-; RO022-056016-) are c. 60m and c. 75m SSE and SE of the mound respectively.

In addition geophysical survey recorded a previously unsuspected enclosure (RO022-057085-) and its associated double linear feature or ceremonial avenue (RO022-057094-) immediately NE of the mound. There are also two ditch-like features converging on the mound from the E forming another avenue (RO022-057093-). The entire area of the ceremonial enclosure (RO022-057012-), but not the mound, was cultivated with lazy-beds in small plots of c. 0.4 ha at a later time. (Knox 1911, 97-9; 1914, 7-9; Orpen 1911, 272-5; Herity 1983, 130; 1988, 131-4, Toberrory 14; Waddell 1983, 27; 1988, 5-6, No. 1; Fenwick et al. 2006)

See the attached aerial images taken from the E (001) and NE (003).

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 19/1934) and is now a National Monument in state ownership: No. 294.

References

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

Waddell, J. 1988 Rathcroghan in Connacht. Emania 5, 5-18.

Orpen, G. H. 1911 Croghans and Norman motes. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 41, 267-76.

Knox, H.T. 1911 The Croghans and Some Connacht Raths and Cashels. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 41, 93-116, 205-40, 301-42.

Waddell, J., Fenwick, J. and Barton, K. 2009 Rathcroghan: archaeological and geophysical survey in a ritual landscape. Dublin. Wordwell.

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.

FitzPatrick, E. 2004 Royal inauguration in Gaelic Ireland c.1100-1600: a cultural landscape study. Studies in Celtic History 22. Woodbridge. The Boydell Press.

Fenwick, J.; Geraghty, L.; Waddell, J.; and Barton, K. 2006 The innermost secrets of Rathcroghan mound. Archaeology Ireland Vol. 20, No. 2, Issue 76, 26-29. (2)