Barrow - ring-barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

Surveyed in 2012 and described by McGuinness (2012, 39-40) as following: ‘Very well preserved, roughly circular ring-barrow (Diam. 25.5m N-S x 25m E-W) composed of very stony earth, situated on upper E-facing slope of low hill. Monument comprises a central mound (base diam. 11.3m N-S x 10m E-W) surrounded by a flat-bottomed ditch, 2.7-3.2m in width, and a very stony outer bank, 3.5-4m in width from base of ditch to ground level outside. On S side is an irregularly shaped gap in the bank 5m in length, apparently due to later disturbance. Central mound, which appears to be raised slightly above level of surrounding ground, rises up to 1.5m above base of ditch on E side, being higher on N and E sides than S and W sides. Bank rises up to 1.4m above base of ditch on W side, being higher on S and W sides than N and E sides. Maximum depth of ditch below and perpendicular to a line joining top of bank to upper surface of platform is 0.95m, and the distribution of such depths (N: 95cm; S: 85cm; E: 94cm; W: 95cm) indicates a fairly uniform depth around its circumference. Running SW from W side of barrow is a scarp or possibly a low bank 1.5m wide, the ground to NW of it being lower than that to SE; at 15.5m from the barrow it kinks to SSE, running as a scarp for another 10.5m to another barrow on summit of hill (WM018-085003-) 20m to WSW of ring-barrow. Running E from this mound in a very gently S-curving line for 20m is another low scarp, the ground to S being 0.3m lower than that to N and dropping down quite steeply. E end of this scarp is 7m SW of ring-barrow. These two scarps or low banks are identified as an 'Enclosure' in RMP (WM018-085002-), and although the second scarp does not join onto the ring-barrow, the overall effect is that the flattish summit of this low hill has been defined by a scarp, linking the mound at highest part of hill to the ring-barrow on slope of hill to ENE.

See attached plan of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI

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

Date of upload: 25 April 2016

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 Unpublished survey funded by Westmeath County Council in association with Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society.