Crannog

The National Monuments Service's description

On a low promontory on the SE shore of Fin Lough (dims. c. 900m NE-SW; c. 400m NW-SE). Drainage work conducted 1846-1856 (Whitfield 2001, 61-6) exposed this site for the first time when it was described (Kelly 1850-'3) as a platform of horizontally-laid radiating oaks with a triple oak stockade (diam. c. 40m) and a jetty projecting W. A single trench through two paved levels in the platform recovered a great quantity and variety of bones and artifacts including ringed pins (Fanning 1974-5, 215), and two dug-out canoes were found between the site and the shore.

To-day it is a grass-covered knoll (dims. of top 37m E-W; 15m N-S; dims of base 41m E-W: 20m N-S; H 1m) with an uneven, stony upper surface and a low bank (Wth 3.6m; H 0.3-0.4m) at the perimeter SW-NW. Elsewhere there are shallow quarries around the perimeter. Ballintemple church (RO029-053001-) is c. 150m to the SE on the old shore. (Graves 1858-9,132; Wood-Martin 1886, 233-6)

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload: 24 August 2010

References

Fanning, T. 1974-5 Some bronze ringed pins from the Irish midlands. Journal of the Old Athlone Society 1(4), 211-18.

Graves, Rev. J. 1858-9 What we learn from Wilde's catalogue of the antiquities in the museum of the Royal Irish Academy. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 5, 110-48.

Kelly, D.H. 1850-53 An artificial island and certain antiquities discovered near Strokestown. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 1C, 208-15.

Wood-Martin, W.G. 1886 (Reprint 1983) The lake dwellings of Ireland: or ancient lacustrine habitations of Erin, commonly called crannogs. Dublin. Hodges, Figgis and Co.

Whitfield, N. 2001 A filigree panel and a coin from an Irish crannog at Alnwick Castle, with an appendix on the discovery of crannogs at Strokestown, Co. Roscommon. Journal of Irish Archaeology 10, 49-72.