Crannog

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a marshy area on the dried up lake bottom of Lough Derravaragh. Depicted as an island named ‘Castlewatty’ 250m N of the lake shore on the 1912 ed. OS 6-inch map. Present remains consist of a sub-circular artificial mound of stones (approx. diam. 20m N-S; 18m E-W; H 1.5m) surrounded by a slight depression. The interior, which contains modern shooting hides and disturbance holes, rises slightly towards the centre.
This crannóg was described by O'Sullivan (2004, 68-9) as following; 'Located in a broad bay at the W end of the lake. The site is depicted as 'Castlewatty' on OS maps. In the past, it would have been located 250m from land, in shallow water (c. 1.5m), the deepest part being 100m to SE (modern depth 1m, original 2.5m). In summer time, the local land is waterlogged with water depths of up to 40cm. In the 1960s, NMI files indicate that this was an area of freshly exposed mudflats. The crannog has excellent views in all directions, with particularly clear views to Coolure Demesne and Kiltoom across the lake to the E. The crannóg is overlooked by a low hill to the ESE. To the W and N lie low-lying wetlands. A circular, high-cairn crannog (dims. 16m N-S x 13.6m E-W; H 2.2m). There is a level, circular platform (9m N-S), 8m (E-W) on the highest part of the cairn. The cairn sides slope gradually down to the edges, but it is slightly steeper to the south side (facing shore). The cairn is constructed of large angular limestone boulders (50cm 1., 20cm w, T 10cm). There is a roughly-built duck-hide on the NW side of the cairn. The NMI topographical files (NMI Clonava td., see also notes and photos in NMI 1968:197-8, Derrya td., Co. Westmeath) describe a double row o f wooden posts (c.7cm in diameter), oriented NW-SE, was noted in 1968 when lake levels dropped. It was suggested that this post row joined the crannóg with the NW shore of the lake. Most of the posts were gone when the site was visited. These posts are not visible today. It is presently overgrown by wetland vegetation (alders, reeds). (O'Sullivan et. al. 2007, 121)

Compiled by: Frank Coyne & Caimin O'Brien

Revised by; Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 6 March 2017

References

O'Sullivan, A. 2004 The social and ideological roles of crannogs in early medieval Ireland. Unpublished PhD thesis. Department of History, NUI Maynooth.

O'Sullivan, A., Sands, R. and Kelly, E.P. 2007 Coolure Demesne crannog, Lough Derravarragh, Co. Westmeath: a crannog and its landscapes. Bray. Wordwell.