Settlement platform

The National Monuments Service's description

A cluster of rock platforms (WM026-115----/15001-; 117----/118----/119----/120----) were identified by Karkov & Ruffing (1990-1, 108-110), on the E shoreline of Rochfort Bay on Lough Ennell. Listed as Rochfort Demesne 7 and described by O'Sullivan (2004, 100) as following; 'Located on dryland on south side of a small inlet on the south side of Rochfort Bay. The site would originally have been in 1m depth of water, located c.23m from original shoreline. It is overlooked by level ground rising to a ridge to the south. This is a small, oval rock platform (dims. 9m N-S x 8m E-W; H 0.5m) situated on level, marshy ground (former lakebed alluviums). It is a low, level platform, even in profile and steep-sided at its edges. It is grassy surfaced with small irregular limestone slabs (80m length, 50cm width) scattered across its upper surface. It is attached to the north side o f a larger platform (Rochfort Demesne 6/WM026-120----). The nearest archaeological site is the crannóg at Goose Island (WM026-109----), 420m to north, a mound at Rochfort Demesne (WM026-048----), 550m to east. This site is a possible prehistoric or medieval rock platform, potentially associated with the early medieval crannóga at Goose Islands.'

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

Date of upload: 29 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 Unpublished PhD thesis.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.