Barrow - bowl-barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

A barrow-cemetery consisting of seven barrows (WM007-014/016/017/018/015/015001-), six of the barrows are still visible with no surface remains visible of the seventh barrow. Monument surveyed in 2015 and described by McGuinness (2015, 58) as following: ‘By far the largest and most prominent barrow in the cemetery, this partly overgrown monument comprises a bowl-shaped, almost conical mound with steep, gently rounded sides and a distinct rounded apex (Diam. 17.2m N-S x 17.1 E-W), which is surrounded by a ditch (Diam. (overall) 22.4m N-S x 22.2m E-W). On N side, where a measurement could be taken rather than on overgrown NE side where ditch was deepest, mound rises 3.8m above the ditch; where deepest at NE, ditch drops 0.45m below external ground level. Ditch is far better preserved at N than at S, where it is shallow and mostly silted, but the range of widths is fairly narrow: 2.4m (N), 2.6m (E), 2.8m (S), 2.5m (W). Where mound has been poached or otherwise eroded, as at SW, it can be seen to comprise very stony soil. Barrow is located where land begins to slope down gently to N; as such, and possibly to make the monument appear fairly symmetric with respect to the central vertical axis, N side of mound would appear to be more massive and the ditch correspondingly deeper’. Recent drone photograph taken by Peter Nagy shows a small ditch-barrow (WM007-016----; Site C in McGuiness Survey 2015) immediately to the W of the bowl-barrow (pers. comm. Peter Nagy and Anthony Murphy 20/01/2023).

See attached drone photograph courtesy of and © Peter Nagy and Figure 36 taken from McGuinness 2015, 57

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 2/1979).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 25 January 2023

References

ASIAP - Archaeological Survey of Ireland Aerial Photographs (c. 1996 - c. 2010).

McGuinness, D. 2015 The prehistoric burial mounds and related monument of County Westmeath. Part III - Monuments in Northern and Eastern Westmeath (Baronies of Delvin and Fore, and Parts of Baronies of Farbill, Fartullagh, Moygoish, and Moyashel & Magheradernon). Unpublished survey funded by Westmeath County Council in association with Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society.