Ceremonial enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Just off the shoulder at the NW end of the NW-SE ridge of Mewlaghadooey Hill, the summit of which is c. 700m to the ESE and is occupied by hillfort (RO027-014001-). Circular grass-covered area (diam. 97m N-S; 96m E-W) defined by four earthen banks with some bushes, and intervening fosses (max. ext. diam. 160m N-S; 148.5m E-W). The first (innermost) and fourth banks are slighter than the two central banks, and may be counterscarp banks to the adjacent fosses, representing episodes of re-cutting. The bowl-barrow (RO027-012002-) and mound (RO027-012003-) are within the enclosure, and the original entrance is at SE.

The innermost bank (Wth 3.5-5.2m; int. H 0.1-0.5m; ext. H 0.6m at S to 2.6m at N) has been removed NE-S and is separated by a fosse (Wth of top 9.8-10.2m: Wth of base 2.5-3m) from the second bank (Wth of base 6-8.5m; int. H 1.6m S-W to 2.7m N-E; ext. H 1.7m S-W to 2.6-3m N-E). This bank is separated by a fosse (Wth of top 8.5-11m; Wth of base 1.7-4m) from a third bank (Wth of base 6.2m at W to 8.3m generally; int. H 1.5m at W to 2-2.9m generally). This third bank is separated by a fosse (Wth of top 5.4m at N to 9.7m at E; Wth of base 2.5-4m) from the fourth bank (Wth 2-5m; int. H 0.9-1.1m; ext. H 0.2-0.5m). A barbed and tanged arrowhead was found in the third bank during September 2013 at a point where it had been damaged by cattle-poaching at E.

The original entrance is at SE through the 2nd (Wth 5.4m) and 3rd (Wth 7m) banks, but the 4th bank is missing here (L c. 30m) and the gap through the 3rd is narrowed (Wth 1.4m) by two small mounds. The site is cut by a NW-SE field bank and drain and townland boundary N of the centre, and a hollow (diam. 4m; D 1m) with a stone at the bottom just S of the field drain may be a souterrain (RO027-012005-). An older field bank bisects the monument E-W. Barrows (RO027-012002-; RO027-012003-) are inside the innermost bank at SW and NE respectively. Rath (RO027-011----) is c. 60m to the NW. (Knox 1911, 218-20; 1914b, 354-7; Timoney 1990, 13, 15)

See the attached images:
016 Ramparts at NE from S
022 aerial image from NW
058 Ramparts at S looking E

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010
Amended: 23 Sep. 2013

References

Knox, H.T. 1914b Dumha Brosna. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 44, 348-57.

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.

Timoney, M. A. 1990 The changing landscape around Tarmon, Co. Roscommon. In M. Lavin (ed.) Tarmon National School Centenary 1890-1990, 13-16.