Crannog

The National Monuments Service's description

Located 20m E of the present E shoreline of Doonis Lough, but was originally c. 50m W of the scarp of original shoreline. Doonis Lough is a small lake 400m S of Lough Ree. This crannóg was described by O'Sullivan (2004, 53-4) as following; 'a small, low cairn (dims. 17m NNE-SSW x 11m E-W; H 1.6m/ 0.5m above water level) of small stones, clay and timber in shallow water (1m depth), originally c. 50m from the shoreline. The crannóg was built by laying a primary platform of large (diam. 0.1-0.15m) roundwood alder, ash and birch logs directly on the lake muds (an organic-rich grey-brown silt or gytta soil). An upper platform of radially laid oak roundwoods (diam. 0.08-0.12m) was laid across this foundation. The cairn of stones was laid across these timber beams, retained by a vertical roundwood palisade that surrounds the site. The crannog’s upper surface is level, with an even profile with sharply sloping sides. The cairn itself is built of small, angular fist-sized stones (L 6-8cm), larger pebbles and some larger (L 0.6-0.8m) irregular limestone slabs, all of which lie exposed on the surface and in the shallow water surrounding the island. The enclosing features include a possible irregular kerb on the south and east sides, while the vertical wooden palisade includes an inner row of slow-grown (60-80 years old) ash roundwood poles (diam. 0.08-0.12m). There are also occasional vertical posts in the stones and muds 2-3m out from the island (apparently driven to depths of 1m. A single, loose vertical post (diam. 0.08m, L 0.7m) from the enclosing palisade was inspected on the east side of the crannóg. This was a roundwood ash pole, sharpened to a chisel-shaped point, using a metal axe wielded at very shallow angles. The toolmarks on the worked end are small (L 0.03m, Wth 4m), slightly concave with clean junctions between each toolmark. These appear to have been made by a small bronze axe, possibly of Middle or Late Bronze Age type. Burnt bone fragments and unburnt bone, (apparently mostly of bird) is visible in the eroded section of the crannog’s cairn material on the west and east sides. A possible wooden artefact (a charred and carved piece of bucket or tub fragment) lies in the water on the E shore of the crannóg. The crannóg is now overgrown by young alder trees and rushes, and is surrounded by reedbeds'.

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.