Field system

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on ground sloping down gently to the E of Ballintober Castle (RO027-048002-). An area of c. 1.5 ha (c. 4 acres) immediately E of the castle was archaeologically tested (05E1312) and revealed elements of a field system including a NNE-SSW field bank (Wth 3.3m; H 0.2m) which was visible before excavation but which was shown to be accompanied by a ditch (Wth 3.5m). Ridge and furrow systems are generally aligned on this bank or other open ditches. Some pits and small cobbled surfaces were also recorded. Secure dating evidence was lacking but it may be late medieval in date, and was thought to extend further E (Read 2008i).
Magnetometer and ground penetrating radar surveys (15R0051) conducted during 2015-18 over an extensive area of c. 7 hectares (c. 18 acres) E of the castle demonstrate that much of it (c. 4.5 ha or 11 acres) was divided into small strip fields (dims c. 60m x c. 20m) defined by what are probably ditches or drains, and that many of these plots are aligned end-on to a NW-SE roadway (RO027-048023-). The roadway (Wth 12-14m; recorded L 200m plus) runs SE from the gateway in the E curtain wall of the castle along the S side of a turlough, which is c. 350m from the castle. Away from the roadway the fields are larger. Excavation (15E0232) across the roadway revealed it to be a roughly-paved surface (Wth 4m) with an accompanying drain on one side and a path on the other (Brady et al. 2018, 18-20, 26). At least nine of the fifteen or so identified plots have house sites within them, and constitute a settlement cluster (RO027-048024-) which is part of the town of Ballintober (RO0287-048----). The houses are close to the roadway on the N side but further away from it on the S side. Refinements of the survey process identified what might be hearths within the houses and pits in their vicinity. (Brady et al. 2017, 31-44; 2018, 18-20, 26)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010
Amended: 24 November 2020

References

Brady, N., Connell, S., Cearley, D. and A. Blair 2018a Archaeological Excavation and Survey. Ballintober Castle and precinct, Ballintober, Co. Roscommon. Licences: 15E0232; 15R0051. 2017 season. Unpublished report. Castles in Communities: medieval Ireland Past and Present

Brady, N., Connell, S., Maurer, K., Cearley, D. and L. Conyers 2017 Archaeological Excavation and Survey. Ballintober Castle and precinct, Ballintober, Co. Roscommon. Licences: 15E0232; 15R0051. 2016 season. Unpublished report. Castles in Communities: medieval Ireland Past and Present

Brady, N. 2014 Archaeological Survey of Ballintober Castle, Ballintober, Co. Roscommon, Ireland (RO027-048002-). Unpublished report: Castle Studies Trust. See this web-page: http://www.castlestudiestrust.org/Ballintober-Castle.html

Read, C. 2008i Ballintober. Possible medieval / post-medieval field system. in I. Bennett (ed.) Excavations 2005: summary accounts of archaeological excavations in Ireland, 320, No. 1312. Dublin, Wordwell