County: Mayo Site name: CARROWNALURGAN I, CARROWNALURGAN
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 88:83 Licence number: 97E0414
Author: Martin E. Byrne
Site type: Ringfort - rath
Period/Dating: Early Medieval (AD 400-AD 1099)
ITM: E 498177m, N 783304m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.789336, -9.545296
The monument is slightly oval in plan (39.4m north-south x 35m east-west internally), enclosed by an earth and stone bank (extant height 1.8–2.2m). There is no conclusive evidence for an entrance, but a gap to the south-west appears to be the most probable. The interior of the site is generally flat and the surface is much higher (1.3–2m) than the external sloping ground surface. There is a headstone inside the bank to the north-north-east, dated 1723, which commemorates a Peter Browne.
Archaeological investigations were undertaken to the immediate south of the site from 21 to 27 October and for a fortnight commencing on 17 November. This work was necessitated in advance of road-widening associated with the R335 Road Improvement Scheme.
The initial evaluation was undertaken in order to determine the existence of an enclosing fosse. A single trench was hand-excavated on the southern external area of the monument and ran south for a length of 5m from the base of the bank. No trace of a fosse was uncovered but a shallow ‘cut-feature’ was uncovered. The trench was subsequently widened to determine the nature of this feature, as well as to determine whether any features associated with the monument might exist within the take of the road. No such features were uncovered and the ‘cut-feature’ proved to be of recent date.
Similarly, subsequent monitoring of groundworks in the area did not uncover evidence of any features associated with the monument, and it was concluded that the site is probably a platform ringfort without an enclosing fosse.
39 Kerdiff Park, Monread, Naas, Co. Kildare
