Crannog in Lough Gara

In a water-meadow, on the shore at the NW end of Lough Gara. Views are limited in all directions. A high-cairn crannog (c. 22m N-S; 19.2m E-W; H 2.13m above the meadow), the unstable surface of which mainly consists of densely packed sandstone stones. There is a central circular mid-cairn (6m N-S; 6m E-W) with a hollow (c. 1.6m N-S; 2m E-W; D 0.75m) in the surface. There is a distinct drop from the mid-cairn down to the surrounding plateau (Wth 2.5-2.7m) which consists of moss-covered well-sorted stones (diam. 0.2-0.3m) more firmly set in the ground than those of the mid-cairn. The plateau is surrounded by a berm of looser stones. The crannog edge is distinct in material and form. The crannog is densely covered with overgrowth. A small quantity of iron slag was noted between some of the stones during a previous site inspection in 1994 (SMR (1989) file). (Fredengren 2002, KILC 027). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008