Crannog

The National Monuments Service's description

In shallow water in the S half of Cloonacleigha Lough. The lake is surrounded by drumlins, with views of Knocknashee and Muckelty Hill in the distance to NW and W respectively. An oval high-cairn crannog (24m N-S; 18m E-W; H 1.27m above the water). A central medium-sized mid-cairn, with a flat area of soil in the middle, is surrounded by a plateau of loosely packed angular and rounded stones interspersed with sand. In places these stones lie on top of smaller angular stones (diam. 0.1-0.15m). The E edge of the plateau is steep while the W edge spreads out evenly towards the water. A causeway at S connecting the crannog to land is visible in an aerial photograph (GSIAP, G 264-5). This causeway was not accessible from the crannog due to reeds and bog growth. The crannog itself is almost inaccessible due to overgrowth of bushes, briars and trees. There is a moated site (SL032-199----) on the shoreline c. 140m to SE (O'Conor 1998, 88; O'Sullivan 1998, pl. 52). A crannog (SL032-226----) lies c. 100m to N and another (SL033-109----) lies c. 400m to NE.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).

Date of upload: 18 January 2008