Crannog

The National Monuments Service's description

This crannóg was listed as Kiltoom 5 and described by O'Sullivan (2004, 74-5) as following; 'This appears to be a small low-cairn crannog, originally built in shallow water, but now exposed on modern foreshore. The stone kerb and causewayed entrance present different views of the site, with possible access for a dugout boat. This is a low-cairn crannóg located on a sloping (to W) grassy foreshore. It is overlooked by rising ground to the E, with a prominent hill to the SE. The lake edge is 10m to W, former lake-edge 1m to E. The nearest archaeological site (WM007-115----) is a small, low-cairn crannóg, 40m to NW, with the remainder a cluster of crannóga further to the SE. It has extensive views to the NW, W and SW across the lake. This is a large, low-cairn crannóg (dims. 15m NW-SE x 9.8m NE-SW; H 1.5m), presently D-shaped in plan, due to substantial modern disturbance along its east side. There is an iron boundary fence on a low stone wall 10m to the S, suggesting that the crannóg was robbed out for building materials for this boundary wall (which is probably 19th century in date). The site is a low, level cairn of pebbles, stones and boulders, with a slight hollow towards the middle. The smaller stones are closely-packed and are mostly water-rolled, measuring 30-40cm in length, 15-20cm in width, 10m in thickness. There is a kerb of substantial boulders (L 1m; Wth 80cm; T 60cm) along the S and SW edges. The kerb stones are laid on the mound. This kerb presents a view of a substantial wall when seen from the lake. There is a possible entrance ramp at W side, 1.8m in width, defined by an outward splaying alignment of slabs placed on their edges. There is also a possible outer ring of stones on the west, although this may be cairn collapse'. (O'Sullivan et. al. 2007, 125)

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

Date of upload: 6 March 2017

References

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

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 Unpublished PhD thesis.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