Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Crannog
Coolure Demesne, County Westmeath, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Coolure Demesne
- County
- Westmeath
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.67047, -7.36857
- SMR number
- WM007-125----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Listed by O'Sullivan (2004, 65-6) as Coolure Demesne 2. Situated 8m S of the N shoreline of Lough Derravaragh overlooked by the impressive ringfort (WM007-003---) 90m to the N, and a crannóg (WM007-004----) 150m to S. Described by O'Sullivan (ibid.) as following; 'a large, oval cairn (dims. 27m N-S x 36m E-W; H 1.5m) at the water’s edge, perhaps an enhanced natural feature. It is highest at its NE end. There is a level, kidney-shaped platform across the upper surface, 14m E-W, 8m N-S. The cairn slopes gradually off to the E and S sides, and more steeply to the W and N (towards the shore). The surface is largely composed of large, outcropping boulders (L. 70cm, Wth 40cm, T 15cm), although there are smaller stones exposed to the SE. Although the cairn appears to be attached to the shore at its NE end by a platform (10m), there is also a stone causeway, L 10m, Wth 50cm and 10cm in height from its mid-point to the shore, oriented NE-SW. There are also a number of smaller, rocky islets or platforms along the water’s edge in the vicinity. The most prominent is situated in the water (15m from shore) to the WSW of this site, measuring 5m N-S, 4.3m E-W, 20cm height. These appear to be deliberately enhanced. This site was discovered during fieldwork, no previous finds are known from its surface. This crannóg appears to be a natural mound that has been enhanced by scarping around its edges, with a stone causeway constructed joining it to the land. It may have been occupied during the early medieval period, given its close proximity to an early medieval crannóg and ringfort'.(O'Sullivan et. al. 2007, 119)
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 13 February 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.
Nearby in the register
- Crannogunder 1 mi
- Crannogunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Settlement platformunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.