Crannog

The National Monuments Service's description

This crannóg was listed as Mornintown 1 and described by O'Sullivan (2004, 81-2) as following; 'Located on the SW shore, at the narrower end of Lough Derravaragh. It is depicted as an islet surrounded by water on the OS 6-inch maps. In summer time today, it is separated from the dryland by a narrow (c. L 8m) stretch of marshy, waterlogged land, covered in willow trees and reeds. The crannóg has relatively good views across the lake to the NE and E, but otherwise they are fairly restricted. It is overlooked by rising, steeply sloping ground to the SW, while Knockeyon Hill dominates the view to the E. This crannóg is an ovoid, high-cairn (dims. 23m N-S x 18m E-W; H 2m) site at the SE end of Lough Derravaragh. The site is located in shallow water, 1.2m in depth off the E edge of the cairn. It has a level, sub-rectangular platform on the highest part of cairn (12m N-S), 7m (E-W). The sides slope gradually down to the edges on N, E and SW sides, but it is steeper to the W side (facing shore). The cairn is sharply delimited from the lakebed on all sides. The cairn is constructed of medium to small boulders (L 50cm; Wth 20cm; T 10cm)'. (O'Sullivan et. al. 2007, 129)

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by Aidan O'Sullivan.

Date of 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 Unpublished PhD thesis.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.