Megalithic tomb - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

St Patrick's bed was described in the late 1880s as following; 'If there are any remains on Ushnagh Hill of a structure of the dolmen class, they are to be looked for in a long raised area crowning the elevation, and called Patrick's Bed. It is surrounded by stones on edge, and is about 21 feet [6.4m] long, and 4 or 5 feet [1.2-1.5m] wide. O'Donovan says that the people complained that "the sappers removed stones from it, before which it was much more perfect." Its situation would have been just the one for a dolmen, and it is too narrow to have been a church. I carefully examined it, but cannot speak with certainty as to its having been a dolmen, although what it can have been, if it were not, it is difficult to say. No trace of a roofing-stone is visible' (Borlase 1897 vol. 2, 373). O'Donovan (OSL 1837, 14/G/13/12(19) ) recorded that local people complained that "it was much more prefect before the sappers removed stones from it, before which it to form a Trig. Station on the hill".
Monument described by Schot (2016) as following; ' The monument known as ‘St Patrick’s Bed’ crowns the highest point of the Hill (180m above sea-level), near the western end of the summit plateau, and commands extensive, panoramic views over the central plain of Ireland. The name was first recorded by John O’Donovan (OSL 1837, I, 42) and is likely to have been inspired by early legends of the saint’s visit(s) to Uisneach. Although its dilapidated condition makes classification difficult, it is likely to be the remains of a megalithic tomb (Borlase 1897; Schot 2011). Today it consists of a low, sub-rectangular cairn with a NNW/SSE long axis, revetted on the W and N by upright stones. It measures 9.2m in length by 3-4m in average width and stands to up to c.1m high. Two slightly curving rows of small, upright stones extend westwards from its NW and SW angles respectively, and may be original features. Geophysical survey around St Patrick’s Bed has revealed the footprint of two enclosures (probably originally defined by wooden palisades), the smaller of which underlies the cairn while the larger encircles it (Schot 2011)'.

See attached photo (WM024-059----_01) provided by Dr. Roseanne Schot

Compiled by: Dr. Roseanne Schot

Date of upload: 07 May 2019

References

Schot, R. 2011 From cult centre to royal centre: monuments, myths and other revelations at Uisneach. In R. Schot, C. Newman and E. Bhreathnach (eds), Landscapes of cult and kingship, 87–113. Dublin.

Schot, R. et. al. 2016 Conservation Plan for the Hill of Uisneach, Co. Westmeath – Part 1: Assessment of Cultural Significance, with contributions by D. Drew and R. Sherlock.

OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.

Borlase, W.C. 1897 The Dolmens of Ireland, 3 vols. London. Chapman and Hall.