Barrow - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

This barrow, known locally as ‘The Moat’, was fully excavated in 1963 in advance of road-widening works on the N 59 Sligo-Ballina road (Danaher 1964). Prior to excavation the barrow appeared as a roughly circular mound (diam. 13.5m; H 2.3m), gently domed in profile, with a somewhat steeper slope near the summit on the W and N side. Excavation determined that the barrow was composed of a roughly circular cairn (diam. 11.85m; H 1.5m) of stones and gravel, with a kerb-like setting of stones at SW and NE, overlain by a mound of stony soil. There was no evidence of an enclosing fosse. The primary burial in the barrow was of an ox. It was unburnt and unprotected, lying slightly NW of centre, 0.25cm above the old ground level. Associated with the ox burial were twelve poorly-preserved sherds of pottery and a waste fragment of chert. A few other unburnt animal bones of calf, pig and ox were found within the lower layers of the cairn material. In a secondary phase of activity at the barrow, a cist (SL012-053002-) was inserted into the summit of the barrow on its W side, and a pit-burial (SL012-053003-) was inserted into the E side. Both contained cremated remains.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 7 May 2013