Barrow - ring-barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

Surveyed in 2012 and described by McGuinness (2012, 25-6) as following: ‘Very large, high relief, roughly circular ring-barrow (Diam. 49m NE¬‐SW x 46m NW-SE), situated in pasture on broad summit of hill (133m OD). Monument is mostly well preserved, although parts of outer bank have been removed, and except for SW and NE sides, its perimeter is covered by trees and bushes. Monument comprises a central, steep-sided platform with flattish to slightly convex upper surface, surrounded by a ditch, from 4-4.5m in width and mostly flat-bottomed except where mound and bank have partly slipped in on N side; and an outer bank, ranging from 6-7.5m in width where best preserved at N, NE and SW. On N side, bank rises 0.8m above external ground level and 2m above base of ditch. At E, W and SW, stretches of outer bank 1m, 6m and 5.5m in length respectively have been removed or severely damaged; the bank is also quite poorly preserved for an arc of 12m on SE side, and parts of its outer edge on N and S sides have been shorn off by passing farm vehicles. At the damaged SW part, the bank has been much reduced in size and, for 0.7m, entirely breached; and about 2.5m to W of this gap the bank bulges both inside and out, by as much as 4m on outer, SW side and reaches its greatest width (8.5m) and height above external ground level (1.1m). This bulge, much larger than the adjoining, well-preserved stretch of bank on same (SW) side of monument and apparently not original, may be composed of spoil from damaged bank to E. At numerous spots where cattle have eroded the bank, it can be seen to be composed of exceptionally stony earth. Maximum depth of ditch below and perpendicular to a line joining top of bank to upper surface of platform on NE and SW sides is 1.17m and 1.15m respectively. Central platform appears to rise little, if at all, above surrounding ground. Its basal diameter is 25m N-S x 27m E-W, the slightly greater length of the E-W axis being due to partial slippage of platform into ditch; it rises up to 1m above base of ditch. A second, almost identical ring-barrow (WM011-103----) lies less than 200m to SW. Running N-S c. 64.5m to WSW is a very large field fence, comprising a flat-topped bank 4m in width up to 1m high on E side and up to 1.5m high on W side. About 61.5m to ENE of second ring‐barrow (WM011-103----) this field fence kinks sharply, running (with ditch on NW side) in a SW direction and cutting through SE side of WM011-103----, where it has been partly converted into a trackway. This bank and associated ditch appear to be a part of the monument identified by Kane (1916-17, 550-57) as the ‘Black Pig’s Dyke’, based on an interpretation of place-names, folklore and medieval literary sources. But for trees, Frewin Hill (WM011-133----; WM011-132----) would be visible to S and Lough Owel to SE’.

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

Date of upload: 23 February 2015

References

McGuinness, D. 2012 The prehistoric burial mounds and related monument of County Westmeath. Part I - Preliminary account of the monuments in the Lough Owel Area (Barony of Corkaree and part of Barony of Moyashel & Magheradernon). Unpublished survey funded by Westmeath County Council in association with Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society.

Kane, W.F. de Vismes 1917 Additional researches on the Black Pig's Dyke. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 34C, 539-63.