Crannog

The National Monuments Service's description

According to Woods (1907,66) Cró-Inis also known as Cormorant Island was selected by the kings of Meath as one of their royal sites along with nearby Dun-na-Sgiath (WM025-145----). In the year 1022, the Annals of Clonmacnoise recorded that 'King Moyleseachlin mcDonnell mcDonogh king of all Ireland, haveing thus triumphantly raigned over all Ireland, and his enemies the Danes, died in Croinnis [Cro-Inis] upon Logh Innill [Ennell] neere his house of Doone Sgiath in the 43 yeare of his reigne in the forth of the noones of September, the Sunday next before the feast day of St. Queran' (Ann. Clon., 171). In 1446 the Annals recorded that 'Donnell O'Coffey, a good captain, and his two sons, were slain on Cro-inis, an island on Loch-Ainninn-mic-Neimhidhn [Lough Ennell], by the grandsons of Art ,O'Melaghlin, and the grandsons of Fiacha Mageoghegan' (AFM, 949). This same event was described in the Annals of Connacht as following; 'Domnall O Cobthaig [O'Coffey] and his two sons were treacherously killed by Maelsechlainn son of the son of Art O Mailsechlainn and by Feidlim son of the son of Fiacha Mag Eochacain on Crowinis in Loch Ennell, in his own house. He was a man of wide accomplishment and his house was an open guest-house' (Ann. Conn.). The house referred to in the Annals area represented by the wall footings of the tower house (WM025-150001-)located on the centre of the island.
This crannóg was listed as Cro-Inis (Dysart 1) and described by O'Sullivan (2004, 86-8) as following; 'Located off the SW shore of Lough Ennell, 250m S of the original shoreline, in 2m water depth (3m originally). The site is overlooked by rising ground to NW, overlooked by a ringfort depicted on OS 6-inch maps as Dun-na-Sciath (WM025-145----) 300m to N. Crannóg consists of a large, circular, high-cairn site, built of large stones, horizontal timbers retained within multi-phase inner and outer palisades. It is a level, stony cairn, highest at the very centre, with an even profile and a gradual slope to the edges. Horizontal timbers are visible underwater in the cairn edge on the east and north sides. A midden of animal bone was previously identified off the west or landward side of the crannóg. There is a natural sandbar to the west of the island. The cairn is retained at the water’s edge by a large split oak plank palisade (dated to AD 1107 ± 9 years) around the southwest edge of the cairn, where there are also large limestone slabs that form an irregular kerb. There is also an outer roundwood palisade (radiocarbon dated to 1325±B.P., c.AD 825-850) in the water (visible at 1.5-2m water depth) of 150 closely spaced posts (4-8cm diameter) that partly surrounded the site on its northwest, north and northwest sides, 7-10m out from the edge of the island. There is a landing place (6.5m N-S x 1.5m E-W), defined by two stone walls, on the north side of the island (similar to known late medieval coastal landing places and possibly also of ancient design). There are also stoned-lined ‘paths’ on the northeast and east side, leading down into the water. On top of the centre of the island is the base of a mortared stone building, with walls measuring 8.5m in length, surviving to a height of 1m. This is probably the remains of a stone folly, erected on the site of a fifteenth-century tower house occupied by the O’Coffeys. Animal bones can be seen scattered around the island.
This is the early medieval crannóg of Croinis, the historically attested royal seat of the Ua Maelsechlainn kings of the Clann Cholmain dynasty of the southern Ui Neill. Archaeological and historical evidence suggests that the crannóg was built prior to the ninth century (contemporary with the reign of Mael Sechnaill mac Maele Ruanaid, (Maelsechlainn I, obit 862). The saint’s lives and annals also indicate that it was the royal site of Mael Sechnaill maic Domnaill (Maelsechlainn II), who died on this island in AD 1022. The site was re-fortified in the early twelfth century (i.e. AD 1107 ± 9) and was probably also occupied in the late medieval period. The crannóg and ringfort (WM025-145----) are probably a royal settlement complex, strategically located out at the end of a promontory. The site was also occupied in the fifteenth century, as the Annals of Connacht for 1446 claim that Domnaill Ua Cobthaig [O'Coffey] and his two sons were murdered ‘on Crowinis in Loch Ennell, in his own house’. This was probably in a small tower-house on the island'. (Karkov and Ruffing 1990-1, 106-110)

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by Aidan O'Sullivan.

Date of upload: 8 March 2017

References

O'Sullivan, A. 2004 The social and ideological roles of crannogs in early medieval Ireland. Unpublished PhD thesis. Department of History, NUI Maynooth.

Karkov, C. and Ruffing, J. 1990-1 The crannógs of Lough Ennell: A computer survey. Ríocht na Midhe, 8, 3, 105-113.

Woods, J. (ed.) 1907 Annals of Westmeath ancient and modern. Dublin. Sealy, Bryers & Walker.

AFM - Annals of the kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters from the earliest period to the year 1616, ed. and trans. John O'Donovan (7 vols., Dublin, 1851; reprint New York, 1966)

Ann. Conn. - Annála Connacht, The Annals of Connacht, 1224-1544, ed. A. Martin Freeman (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1944)

Ann. Clon. - The Annals of Clonmacnoise: being annals of Ireland from the earliest period to AD 1408, translated into English, AD 1627 by Conell Mageoghagan, ed. D. Murphy. Dublin. Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 1896.