What is recorded here

Cairn appears in the OS Field Name Books of 1837-40 near Clara House, where the writers saw an artificial pile of stones rather than a forgotten monument. That much is clear; the interesting part is what the pile did for the people who lived beside it. A house needs edges, markers and small shapes that give the land a rememberable form. Cairn may have been one of those shapes, built to help people carry the place in their minds.

The OS Field Name Books of 1837-40 mention the presence of a mount near Clara House which they describe as an artifical pile of stones (or carn?) (OSFNB 416). This is more likely to be a designed landscape feature associated with Clara House. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.