Barrow - ring-barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

Monument surveyed in 2015 and described by McGuinness (2015, 48-9) as following: ‘Small, mostly well-preserved and previously unrecorded ring-barrow, sub-circular or almost D-shaped (Diam. 16.2m N-S x 14.2m E-W), comprising a sub-circular mound with steep sides and flattish upper surface (Diam. (base) 6.60m N-S x 7.20m E-W; Diam. (upper surface) 4.10m N-S x 3.90m E-W), surrounded by a ditch and external bank. Mound rises 0.62-0.66m above ditch at SW, W and N. At S, bank rises 0.67m over base of ditch and 0.26m over external ground level. Where best preserved at NW, bank is 2.3m in width, and here the ditch is 2.1m in width. On NE half of upper surface of central mound are two large limestone boulders with prominent solution hollows, the larger 1.5m across, the smaller 0.95m across; another two boulders, the larger 1.2m across, the second far smaller, lie at the junction of mound and ditch on E side, and a further example, 1.15m across, lies on crest of outer bank at W; a group of boulders generally of much smaller size, not shown on plan, lie in ditch and on inner slope of bank at NW. At NE side the ditch is not visible, creating a kind of causeway; here the bank is greatly reduced in size, being no higher than line of ditch, and appears to straighten out for c. 8m, giving the monument an approximately D-shape. The straight edge to the barrow here, defined by a low scarp, runs NW-SE and continues as a scarp, broken in places and apparently natural, to SE and, from aerial photographs, apparently, also for some distance to NW, and seems to demarcate the once-marshy ground adjoining the stream, which was formerly flooded, including this monument, within living memory. Monument lies 102m to SW of a NW-SE flowing stream. It is one of a cemetery of five barrows spread over three townlands: immediately across stream c. 65m to ENE, in Cloghanumera townland, is a second ring-barrow (WM020-142----); visible on a prominent hillock on same side of stream c. 90m to SSE, is a mound-barrow (WM020-026----); and across stream c. 160m and more to NE were two further mound barrows, now destroyed (WM020-027----; WM020-028----). It is notable that while there are many local heights all round, this and the other ring-barrow (WM020-142----) have been deliberately placed in low-lying locations, the present site at least having been formerly under water (pers. comm. landowner)’.

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

Date of upload: 8 February 2016

References

McGuinness, D. 2015 The prehistoric burial mounds and related monument of County Westmeath. Part III - Monuments in Northern and Eastern Westmeath (Baronies of Delvin and Fore, and Parts of Baronies of Farbill, Fartullagh, Moygoish, and Moyashel & Magheradernon). Unpublished survey funded by Westmeath County Council in association with Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society.