Barrow - bowl-barrow

The National Monuments Service's description

Surveyed in 2013 and described by McGuinness (2014, 58-9) as following: 'Large circular mound (Diam. 13m N-S x 13.3m E-W), domed in appearance with slightly flattened upper surface at edge of which is a mature beech; a much silted-up ditch up to 2.2m in width is visible around the base of the mound running clockwise from NE to SW, being absent or difficult to trace elsewhere. Where ditch is clearest on NE side, the natural ground just beyond it rises higher than surrounding areas, giving the illusory impression of an outer bank. Mound rises up to 1.95m in height on NW side, where surrounding ground is lowest and ditch is barely visible. Although summit of eminence on which it lies (see below) slopes down from SE to NW, flattish upper surface of mound appears level when viewed from NE, SE side of mound being much lower than NW side. In the SMR file are a good plan and profile of the barrow and the flat summit of the knoll on which it lies. Monument is very prominently sited on the flattened summit of a striking landform, apparently a kame with dry kettle-hole lake close by to SW, at the N end of an esker ridge (FitzPatrick 2005, 270-71) in a heavily glaciated landscape littered with kames (pers comm. Seamus O’Brien). The Slieve Blooms dominate the view to the S; Knockastia (WM031-015----) and Croghan Hill (OF010-004001-), each with burial mounds, are prominent to NW and E respectively; Ardan Hill, capped by a mound-barrow (WM038-031---), is visible to N. Monument lies on Knockbo Hill c. 700m to NW of graveyard marking the core of the important early medieval monastery (WM038-041002-) of Rahugh (Ráith Áeda), of which little remains but a ruined medieval church (WM038-041----) partly surrounded by an early medieval earthen bank or vallum (WM038-041002-), along with St. Hugh’s Well (WM040-004----) and his birthstone (a monumental early medieval cross-slab (WM038-039----) with large central cupmark shaped like the crown of an infant’s head, venerated since ancient times for its headache cures).
FitzPatrick (2005) makes a convincing case for identifying Knockbo Hill and its bowl-barrow as the Cnoc Buadha of early medieval times, where the Clann Cholmáin king—and titular King of Ireland—Máel Sechnaill staged an important rígdál or political conference in AD 859. In later times it was the inauguration site of the Mageoghegans (Mac Eochagáin), chiefs of the Clann Cholmáin subkingdom of Cenél Fiachach. The barrow was linked visually and possibly by a processional way to the important monastery of Rahugh, supposed birthplace of its founder, the Cenél Fiachach saint Áed mac Bricc; less than 1km to SE in Lowerstown, FitzPatrick draws attention to an impressive bivallate ringfort (WM040-003----) and associated standing stone, another possible location for Máel Sechnaill’s rígdál (Hogan 1910, 566; FitzPatrick 2004, 44).'

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

Date of upload: 23 February 2015

References

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.

Fitzpatrick, E. 2005 The landscape of Máel Sechnaill's rígdál at Ráith Áeda, AD 859. In C. Corlett and T. Condit (eds.), Above and beyond, essays in commemoration of Leo Swan, 267-80. Bray. Wordwell.

Hogan, E. 1910 Onomasticon Goedelicum. Dublin.

FitzPatrick, E. 2004 Royal inauguration in Gaelic Ireland c.1100-1600: a cultural landscape study. Studies in Celtic History 22. Woodbridge. The Boydell Press.