- TOBINSTOWN, CO. CARLOW, Carlow

Introduction
In 2004 Mr Michael Crimmins was picking stones from a ploughed field close to the bank of the Derreen River in the townland of Tobinstown, Co. Carlow. He picked up what he thought was a piece of wood covered in a black substance and washed it in the river, which was close at hand. On realising that it was a pottery vessel Mr Crimmins contacted the NMI.

Location (Fig. 3.8)
The vessel was found in the townland of Tobinstown,²³ north-east Co. Carlow, on the border between counties Carlow and Wicklow, which is formed by the Derreen River. The field slopes towards the river and it was the opinion of the finder that the vessel might have been dragged by the plough from a higher part of the field towards the bottom of the field close to the riverbank.
The site was inspected and the area in and around where the vessel was found was walked several times. Nothing, however, was found to indicate that a burial had been disturbed, as no bone or charcoal was noticed. Mr Crimmins also pointed out some substantial granite boulders that he had dumped by the bank of the river from a hollow area in the field close to where the vessel was found. He thought that these stones might represent a megalithic tomb that had previously been demolished. The SMR does not record any site in the immediate area of the find, although a standing stone is recorded to the west in the townland of Tobinstown.
In walking the field a worked flint scraper was found and is detailed below.

Pottery
This vessel (2004:159) is a ribbed bowl in very good condition (Fig. 3.9). A small piece of the rim is missing and a crack runs from the rim to about halfway through the body. There are three closely spaced ribs on the body of the pot, formed by depressing the surfaces on either side. The rim is slightly inverted and bevelled and is decorated internally with a series of short dragged strokes, arranged in groups of twos and threes following the circumference of the pot. The external surface is decorated with a series of motifs forming four distinct panels of ornament. Two panels are composed as follows: a running zigzag in false relief; two impressed lines, the lower of which has irregular comb impressions; a running zigzag in false relief; pairs of impressed arcs, back to back, which form sets of ‘brackets’, the interiors of which are filled with horizontal comb impressions bordered by a grooved line. The third panel is composed of a broad band of zigzags made from irregularly spaced lines in groups of four to six which are filled with comb impressions. The fourth panel is composed of the impressed brackets with infilling as described above. The base is plain.
Dimensions: H 13.4cm; ext. D 13.1cm; int. D rim 11.8cm.

Lithic
A flint convex end scraper (2004:169) was found in the stubble field close to the find-place of the ribbed bowl. It is retouched on the distal end extending to one lateral edge.
Dimensions: L 2.9cm; max. W 2cm; max. T 0.7cm.

23. Parish of Rathvilly, barony of Rathvilly. OS 6in. sheet 9, approximate location only. IGR 289650 176550.