County: Westmeath Site name: GORTMORE
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 16:33 Licence number: 01E1223
Author: Bernard Guinan
Site type: Barrow - mound barrow
Period/Dating: Prehistoric (12700 BC-AD 400)
ITM: E 617350m, N 751079m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.509412, -7.738434
Monitoring of groundworks associated with the construction of a dwelling-house and septic tank in the townland of Gortmore, Drumraney, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, was undertaken on 19 January and 16 February 2002. All groundworks associated with this development were monitored and no groundworks took place within the protected area of the barrow.
The development took place on a large site, c. 0.949ha (2.345 acres) of flat, well-drained pastureland. The house foundations and septic tank were at the south-western part of the site, furthest from the monument. At its closest, the north-eastern boundary of the development site is 25m from the centre of the barrow. This section of the development will remain as undisturbed pastureland.
Topsoil consisted of a mid-brown matrix with occasional limestone inclusions, c. 0.25m deep. An orange-brown subsoil varying from 0.4m to 0.75m in depth overlay a natural grey compacted gravel composed of small stones in a sandy matrix. No deposits, features or finds of an archaeological nature were uncovered.
A previously unrecorded possible barrow was discovered in lands adjoining the development site. This is a low oval mound, c. 0.25m high. Its long axis (north-east/south-west) is c. 7m long. The shorter axis is c. 5m across. The new site is close to two recorded barrows, SMR 16:32 and 16:33.
Coosan, Athlone, Co. Westmeath
