Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Located in pasture, on Coney Island in Sligo Bay, the enclosure straddles the break of slope on the steep NW edge of a low ridge which extends NE−SW across the centre of the island. The NW-facing slope drops 4-6m to an expanse of flat, marshy ground cut off from the sea c. 250m to W by sand dunes. To SE the ground falls away in a broad gentle slope. The location provides excellent views across the island, and beyond to the mountains of Donegal on the far horizon to N, Ben Bulbin at NNE, and Knocknarea which dominates the view at ESE.
Identified in 2009 from low altitude aerial photographs (Kytmannow et al. 2009, 24, plate 25), this monument was levelled in the past, and the remains are poorly defined at ground level. It consists of a circular or possibly oval area (diam. c. 20-25m) located to NW of centre within a broadly oval area (c. 52m NE−SW; c. 47m NW−SE) defined by a bank. There is a broad intervening gap between the inner enclosure and the outer bank, except at NW where the two are close-set and coincide with the contours of the ridge slope.
At ground level, the outer bank can be traced in an arc at NW−NNE as a low scrap (H 0.5m; Wth 1m), following the natural contour along the top of the ridge slope, and is incorporated into a later field boundary. Remnants of stone facing along the scarp may relate to the later field boundary. Elsewhere, the outer bank is evident as a barely discernible undulation at NE and SW−W; it is no longer visible at E−SSW. The original form and size of the inner enclosure is unclear –only the NW portion is upstanding; the SE portion is levelled and cannot be traced with certainty at ground level. The NW portion is evident as a raised semi-circular area (c. 25m NE−SW; c. 10m NW-SE), curving WNW−NE, and perhaps utilising a small natural rise or peak on the spine of the ridge. It has a gently domed profile with broadly sloping sides (H c. 1m). At NNW−N the outer bank skirts the base of the sloping sides, but at W and NE there is a gap of 12−15m between inner enclosure and the outer enclosing bank.
The enclosure as a whole mirrors the natural terrain, sloping gently from higher ground at NW down to SE. It is bisected by two modern field walls in a T-shaped arrangement: one wall on a roughly NW-SE axis bisecting the enclosure to NW of centre, and the second wall lying perpendicular to this and extending to SE through the centre of the enclosure. There are also two relict field boundaries; one on a NW−SSE axis cuts across the NW sector of the enclosure, and the other on a roughly NE−SW axis merges with the outer bank at NW−NE.
The asymmetrical position of the inner enclosure and the broad intervening gap between the inner enclosure and the outer bank are unusual features of this monument.

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 6 March 2017

References

Kytmannow, T., Hunt, C., Malone, C. and Kahlert, T. 2009 Living on the Edge: Archaeological Survey of shell middens on five islands in Sligo Bay. Unpublished Report to the Heritage Council of Ireland, 25th of Nov 2009.