What is recorded here

Keeloge Sod Battery stands as a ruined earthwork on the River Shannon, built in 1803 to stop invading ships before they reached the western heart of Ireland. The name itself admits the haste of the work, for soldiers threw sods of local soil into shape rather than cutting stone or hauling brick. That urgency still lives in the bank, where the river carries past a defence that never fired but remained ready to kill.

Earthworks associated with post-1700 AD artillery fortification built in the 19th century for the defence of the River Shannon, these fortifications were constructed between 1803-1804 (Kerrigan 1980, 171-4). Depicted as 'Keeloge Sod Battery' on the 1838 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. 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/revision: 29 December 2011

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