Barrow - stepped barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

Surveyed in 2012 and described by McGuinness (2012, 38-9) as following: ‘Three roughly circular, flat-topped earthen mounds (WM018-078---; WM018-078001-; WM018-078002-) on elongated, flattish hilltop running NE-SW. Westernmost mound (WM018-078----), on highest part of hilltop, is the largest of the three and easternmost mound (WM018-078002-) is by far the smallest The mounds are not positioned on a straight line, centre of Mound B (WM018-078001-) being slightly to N of a line joining centres of Mounds A and C. Mound B is 6m from Mound A and Mound C is 11.5 m from Mound B. The mounds have been severely eroded by cattle in recent times, Mound A and especially Mound B having lost large pieces on the perimeter. This is most striking when they are compared with the photograph published by Shaw in 1921 (Pl. 1).
Mound A: Tall, steep-sided, roughly conical mound with flat top (Diam. 15.7m N-S x 17m E-W) on ground sloping down to E and SE, so that its height above surrounding ground varies from 2m on SW side to 2.7m on SE side. Flat top of mound measures 4.1m N-S by 4.6m E-W and slopes down gently from S to N, with a drop of 11cm, and from E-W, with a drop of 16cm. Between one-third and half way up the sides of the mound is a thin ledge (0.5m in width where best preserved at NE) running horizontally around its circumference in contrast with the varying ground level, and reaching a height of 1.16m above ground level where most clearly defined at NE. This ledge also marks a break in slope in the mound's profile, the upper part being slightly steeper. Traces of a shallow ditch, 2.8-3.1m in width are visible on W side of mound; ground naturally dips down on E and SE sides, between Mounds A and B.
To N of the mounds, 24m from Mound A, 14.5m from Mound B and 11.5m from Mound C, is a ditch 2.5m wide, immediately outside of which is a bank, 1.8m in width, which rises 0.36m above ditch and 0.95m above ground level to N. This ditch and bank run roughly E-W from a N-S running hedgerow at W end, curving outwardly to N in a gentle arc around the flattish hilltop, but, 70m to E of the hedgerow, ditch is no longer apparent and bank swerves to NE, or rather appears to join onto a second bank which runs in a NE-SW direction. The NE stretch of this bank is 2.5m in width and 0.5m in height and runs for 6.7m to NE from its point of junction with the E-W running bank and ditch before reaching a gap 23m in width, apparently an entranceway, and then continuing for another 24m downhill to NE where it abruptly ends just 1m before joining at a sharp angle onto a N-S running bank and ditch. The SW stretch of this bank is separated from NE stretch by a gap of 2m. It runs for 23m to SW, with two slight but clear kinks, until it joins onto or runs along N side of Mound C and then continues in SW direction for another 19m, before finally kinking to S and running for another 3.5m.
The S side of the hilltop is delimited by a roughly E-W-running ditch with hedgerow on its S side, which swerves S to curve around Mound A at a distance of 2.7m. To S of Mound C there is a gap in the ditch that serves as a modern passage between fields, beyond which it runs off in a straight line to E. At E side of gap, a further bank and ditch, again forming a modern field boundary, run downhill to N, almost intersecting with NE stretch of bank described above. Within c. 250m to SW are two further barrows (WM018-079----; WM018-080---) and a third possible prehistoric burial mound (WM018-081---). All six sites form an approximately linear arrangement from NE to SW. Frewin Hill (WM011-133----) is clearly visible to N'.

See attached plan of barrow cemetery surveyed and drawn by ASI

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

Date of upload: 25 April 2016

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 19/1977).

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.

Shaw, T. J. 1921 Some notes regarding Slemain Midhe, the probably site of the Battlefield of Gairech and Ilgairech, and other places in Westmeath referred to in the Táin Bo Cúailgne. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 51, 133-46.