Field system

The National Monuments Service's description

On an upland ridge in the Bricklieve Mountains. On the rising ground immediately to N of a ravine, on the S edge of which Treanmacmurtagh cliff-edge fort (SL040-080001-) is located, there is a subrectangular walled enclosure (c.150m N-S; 100m E-W; indicated on the 1914 edition of the OS 6-inch map. The wall (H 1.7-2m) resembles an estate wall and is probably 19th-century in date. It is constructed of drystone limestone rubble topped with coping stones. According to local information, the enclosure incorporated a stone house, the S façade (17.3m E-W) of which was incorporated into the S wall of the enclosure. A blocked-up doorway and the stone sills of two windows can still be seen.
The area within the walled enclosure is sub-divided by sod-covered banks of earth and stone (Wth 1.3-2m; H 0.5m) into a series of irregular and subrectangular plots (e.g. 31m N-S; 55m E-W) with ephemeral evidence of ridge and furrow cultivation. A few partial and poorly defined smaller sub-divisions are at S, possibly representing the remains of structures. While use of these field plots must be contemporary with the walled enclosure and the house, the stone banks extend to N beyond the walled enclosure indicating that the patchwork of subrectangular fields pre-dated the construction of the walled enclosure.
To S of the ringfort, the plateau-like top or the ridge presents an open expanse of upland pasture. Traces of ridge and furrow cultivation on an E-W axis are visible. The N half of the ridge top is sub-divided on an E-W axis (i.e. transversely to the line of the ridge) by three widely spaced (30-60m apart), defunct walls, surviving as sod-covered banks of earth and stone (Wth 1.2m; H 0.3-0.4m). Appended to the S side of the middle of the three E-W field walls is a slightly sunken rectangular feature (10.8m E-W; 4.3m E-W; Irish Grid Reference 73285 11477) defined by a sod-covered stony bank (Wth 1.5m; H 0.4m), probably a house site. To W of this slight undulations appear to be the levelled remains of associated rectangular field-plots. At the W end of the southern of the three E-W field divisions, appended to a dog-leg in the wall is a low rectangular platform (8m E-W; 5-6m N-S; H 0.4m; Irish Grid Reference 73243; 11436).
The W-facing slope of the ridge is steep-sided and broken by rock outcrops. At NW the slope drops to a shallow terrace where the partial outline of two rectangular structures, probably house sites, defined by sod-covered walls (Wth 0.7-1m; H 0.3m) are visible. The N structure (c. 9m E-W; 3m N-S; Irish Grid Reference 73173 11508) is located 6m to N of the S structure (c. 7-8m E-W; 3m N-S; Irish Grid Reference 73174 11495). A fragmentary pattern of relict field walls in the vicinity appears to have defined associated subrectangular field-plots.
The surviving field walls in the vicinity of the cliff-edge fort (SL040-080001) appear to post-date the fort. The rectangular structures/house sites resemble house sites and associated field systems (SL040-079----; SL040-063----) found on parallel upland ridges to NW and W, probably dating to the 18/19th centuries.

Compiled by: Archaeological Survey Unit, UCC with revisions by Patrick F. O'Donovan and Paul Walsh

Date of upload: 20 June 2011