Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Located towards the bottom of a N-facing slope on the N side of what was the Great Island (dims c. 2.5km N-S; c. 800m E-W at S to 1.8km E-W at N) in the N-S River Barrow/Nore, but the channel on the N and E sides (Wth c. 500-600m) of the island has silted up or been reclaimed. An earthwork enclosure, described as an annexe by Westropp (1918, 11-12) was attached to the ecclesiastical enclosure (WX039-018007-) at N. It was a subcircular area (dims. c. 55m E-W; c. 42m N-S) defined by the earthen bank of the ecclesiastical enclosure (Wth c. 6m) at S and probably by field banks at E and N. In the interior six hollows (diams c. 9-10m) defined by low banks were interpreted as house sites but they may have been quarry holes and spoil mounds. A bullaun stone described as ‘three feet by two feet by 15 inches (dims c. 0.9m x c. 0.6m; H c. 0.4m) with an oval scoop ‘12 inches by 10 inches (dims c. 0.3m x c. 0.25m)’ was on the perimeter at N but has been moved to a piece of open ground (WX039-092----) c. 1km to the SW. The area of the annexe has since been levelled and is now overgrown and has some modern quarries.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1996). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of revision: 28 April, 2015

References

Westropp, T.J. 1918 Five large earthworks in the barony of Shelbourne, Co. Wexford, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquries of Ireland, vol. 48, 1-18.