Road - road/trackway

The National Monuments Service's description

On the S-facing slope of Rathcroghan ridge. Running E-W in interrupted sections (L c. 1.8 km). The E end intertwines with the Tusk-Bellanagare road (N5) where it loops S around a low hill at the E foot of the Rathcroghan plateau. Here the carriageway (Wth 13.5m) is defined by a scarp (H 0.6m) at N and a low bank (Wth 4m; H 0.2m) at S and passes by a well called Tobar na Spunoige. W of the N5 the road runs WNW towards Cahernavalody rath (RO022-057051-) (L c. 100m) as a carriageway (Wth 7-8m) defined by earthen banks (Wth 4-7.5m; int. H 0.3-0.6m; ext. H 0.2m) at N and S. It then turns S (Wth c. 14m; L c. 150m) to a disused well where it turns W as far as a N-S public road where the carriageway (Wth 10m) is defined by earthen banks (Wth 3m; H 0.3-0.5m) at N and S (L c. 300m). W of the N-S public road the field bank running W towards the ring-barrow (RO022-057046-) at Knockannagorp is the remains of its N boundary. It ran as far as rath (RO022-057039-) (L c. 700m), and a small fragment (RO022-057068-) (Wth 10m) defined by earthen banks (Wth 2.5-3m; H 0.3-0.6m) survives W of it (L c. 100m). (Knox 1914a, 33-4; Herity 1983, 131; 1988, 73, Glenballythomas 14; Waddell 1983, 41, No.46)

This is a National Monument in state ownership: No. 473

See the attached aerial view looking NE in Glenballythomas.

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.

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.

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