Barrow - mound barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

Surveyed in 2013 and described by McGuinness (2014, 35) as following: 'Dome-shaped, roughly circular mound (Diam. 17m N-S x 15m E-W) reaching up to 2.2m in height on NE side. Monument has been severely eroded by cattle which congregate on its summit, and over large areas where hooves have stripped the sod and taken chunks from the mound’s edge, it can be seen to comprise a large number of stones mixed with some earth—more cairn than earthen barrow. Around N half of mound a narrow berm just above the base is clearly due to cattle walking on the mound and not an original feature. Mound is prominently sited on a broad, low hilltop at SE end of the NW-SE running ridge-like Hill of Laragh, which reaches a height of 123m OD 1km to NW. About 12m to E of the present site is a low grassy ridge or step running NE-SW, forming a distinct break in slope, with ground to NW being higher than that to SE. Possibly this is the remains of a removed field fence'.

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

Date of upload: 23 February 2015

References

McGuinness, D. 2014 The prehistoric burial mounds and related monuments of County Westmeath. Part II - Monuments in central Westmeath (Barony of Rathconrath and parts of baronies of Moygoish, Moycashel, and Moyashel & Magheradernon). Unpublished survey funded by Westmeath County Council in association with Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society.