Barrow - pond barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

National Monument No. 155. Surveyed in 2013 and described by McGuinness (2014, 51) as following: 'Subcircular enclosure delimited by a broad, low bank (Diam. 22.7m N-S x 25.5m E-W) surrounding a hollowed-out area roughly centred on an enormous, fragmentary limestone boulder (H. c. 4.5m) known as the ‘Catstone’, which is 3.7m from the bank where this is closest on SW side; interior reaches below external ground level and has presumably been excavated to gather material for the bank, and possibly to expose the lower part of the Catstone, as was suggested to Borlase by a local labourer. Monument is located in rough pastureland that slopes down steeply from NE to SW, the slope including both surrounding bank and hollowed interior. Bank ranges from 4.4m to 4.6m in width and reaches up to 1.36m above interior ground-level immediately inside high E side; although on SE side, where bank is prominent, it rises 2.1m above that part of interior immediately adjacent to Catstone; bank reaches up to 0.54m in height above external ground level but may be higher on overgrown S side, where ground falls away sharply. This is the ‘Catstone’, a recent name derived from its supposed appearance. A cylindrical hole visible in the top of the central boulder was clearly intended to support the flag-pole which Macalister and Praeger say was erected on it in its capacity as a recent ‘centre for political and other meetings’. For the historical and mythic significance of this ancient and important monument marking the traditional centre of Ireland, and named variously as Aill na Mireann or ‘Rock of the Divisions’, Petram Coithrigi (Tírechán) and Umbilicus Hiberniæ (Giraldus Cambrensis), see Macalister and Praeger (1928, 78-80) and Schot (2006, 40-41). Dr Cyril Fox, director of the National Museum of Wales, who assisted with the Uisneach excavations, suggested to Macalister and Praeger that the embanked enclosure ‘might have been added to the Catstone stone in order to produce an artificial resemblance to an umbilicus, thus linking the boulder to the Omphalos cult at Delphi and elsewhere’ (Macalister and Praeger 1928, 78). Certainly, as Schot demonstrates with an aerial photograph, it has the appearance of a navel from the air. Among early references to the site, Tírechán in his seventh-century Life of St. Patrick claims that the saint was here with ‘pilgrims’ (peregrini), apparently with the intention of founding a church, and that he met one of the sons of the progenitor of the Cenél Fiachach, Fíachu mac Néill, at the sone. In the Tripartite Life the saint actually founds a monastery at Uisneach: Macalister and Praeger suggest a ringfort c. 200m to SE (WM024-069----) as the site of the saint’s foundation. There are references in Camden to a Bishopric ‘of Meath or Elnamirand [Aill na Mireann]’ (Macalister and Praeger 1928, 78-80; Herity 2011, 81; Bieler 1979, 136-7).

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

Date of upload: 23 February 2015

References

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

Bieler, L. 1979 The Patrician texts in the Book of Armagh. Dublin. Institute for Advanced Studies.

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.

Schot, R. 2006 Uisneach Midi a medón Érenn: a prehistoric ‘cult' centre and ‘royal site' in Co. Westmeath. Journal of Irish Archaeology 15, 39-71.

Macalister, R.A.S. and Praeger, R.L. 1928 Report on the Excavation of Uisneach. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 38C, 69-127.

Herity, M. (ed.) 2011 Ordnance Survey Letters Longford and Westmeath. Dublin. Four Masters Press.