Hilltop enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Monument marked on Ordnance Survey Fair Plan map as ‘Rahindoon or Turgesius’ Fort and on the revised 1875 map as ‘Turgesius’ Fort’. This hilltop enclosure was reputedly the ninth century residence of Turgesius or Turgéis, a Norwegian who was described in the year 843 as the 'lord of the foreigners' (AFM, 467).
Situated on top of a prominent hill at the W end of a high prominent natural ridge near the W side of Lough Lene located c. 800m to NNE. The SW side of the hill is almost cliff-like as to steepness and the outer edge of the inner bank is near its upper edge. The other sides of the hill are gentler. Magnificent views for miles around.
Monument consists of a large slightly uneven enclosure (diam. 50m N-S; c. 55m WNW-ESE) rising slightly from the perimeter towards the centre, bounded by a massive earth and stone bank with a narrow steep-sided shallow flat-bottomed rock-cut fosse and remains of a counterscarp bank at its outer foot. The crest of the inner bank has several small modern disturbance gaps. The fosse is visible from S-E-N-NNW. Natural rock outcrop is visible in its outer face on the ESE from SE-S-W-N. The outer bank is visible from NNE-N-NW. The entrance is represented on the NNW by a wide gap (Wth 3m) in the inner bank and a causeway (Wth 2.1m; L 7.5m) across the fosse. The interior slopes from E-W and shows extensive traces of disturbance. A shallow fosse-like depression runs from ENE - WSW through the interior and a second similar depression runs at right angles to it just W of centre. These are presumably the remains of old drains and the four quadrants thus created show traces of old cultivation ridges. Outside the perimeter of the monument on the SE are the remains of quarrying activity.

See attached section of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI in 1975.

Compiled by: Frank Coyne and Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 2 November 2016

References

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

AFM - Annála ríoghachta Éireann: Annals of the kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters from the earliest period to the year 1616, ed. and trans. J. O'Donovan (7 vols., Dublin, 1851; reprint Dublin 1990, de Búrca Rare Books.)