Crannog

The National Monuments Service's description

Listed as School Boy Island and described by O'Sullivan (2004, 103-4) as following; 'Located at N end of Lough Ennell, 220m SSE of Rushy Island (WM026-103----), 200m from shoreline, in 1.5m water depth. The site is opposite the outlet of the River Brosna. This crannóg is an oval, high-cairn site (possibly built on a natural, rocky knoll), 1m above water level. It is very regularly built, with an almost perfectly level surface, an even profile and a steep slope to the edge. It is constructed of medium to small sized stones. There is a distinct stone kerbing around the upper surface of the crannóg at NW side. On the south and east side, a chain of large limestone blocks and boulders (50cm length, 30cm width) forms a ‘inner’ stone kerb on lower surface facing out into the lake. There is also an ‘outer’ kerb at the modern water’s edge (submerged originally?) on the south side, 2m in length. On the north side of the island’s upper surface, a possible hut structure is represented by two parallel stone alignments, 5m in length (NE/SW) by 2m in width, 20cm in height. There are possible duck-hides at east and west ends of island. Local folklore suggests that the island was used by Owen Roe O’Neill’s troops in the seventeenth century'.

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

Date of upload: 9 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 Unpublished PhD thesis.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.