Mound

The National Monuments Service's description

On a SW-facing slope SW of the Rock of Cashel, in undulating terrain, on a natural sloping terrace. In pasture. The hilltop enclosure (TS061-072----) on Windmill Hill is clearly visible to the S. Earthwork identified on an aerial photograph 9879/80. Circular flat-topped mound (diam. 15m) sloping to the S. The mound is less pronounced in the N and E, the northern quadrant of the mound is level with the exterior and the eastern quadrant is 0.25m above the exterior. The mound slopes down to the S (H 2.4m over 9m) where there may have been some small scale quarrying as there is a depression with a false bank of upcast or slippage around the southern edge. A lot of small stones are visible in this bank where exposed by livestock. The mound’s profile is well defined in the W quadrant (H 1.3m). There is a large tree growing on top of the mound in the NW quadrant. A geophysical survey was carried out in this field in 2014 as a result of which a possible circular ditched feature (diam. c. 6-7m) was identified 5m S of the mound (Gimson and Bonsall 2014, 14, fig.3). Also this survey identified a probable rectilinear enclosure (dims. 75m E-W; c. 30m N-S) surrounding the mound (ibid.). The northern enclosing element was not identified but is probably roughly parallel with the pathway to the N. The date and function of this enclosure are unknown.

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of revised upload: 29 November 2017

References

Gimson, H. and Bonsall, J. 2014 Investigation of the Rock of Cashel surrounding lands and lands east of Hore Abbey, St. Patrick's Rock and Horeabbey Townland, Cashel, Co. Tipperary. Unpublished archaeological geophysical survey.