What is recorded here

Mote is a thirty-foot-wide earthen mound in County Carlow, Ireland, ringed by four hidden ditches that emerge only when dry crops stress the soil beneath. A decorated stone still lies on its north-west slope, marking the place where human hands shaped the land before written records. The mound stands thirty feet high and sixty feet across, large enough to hold a life or a warning, yet small enough to disappear into ordinary farmland.

The following description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Carlow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1993). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of revision: 15 April 2011 Revised by: Claire Breen Earthen mound with gently sloping sides and small summit (H c. 3m; base diam. c. 18m). Enclosed by cropmarks of four concentric fosses visible on aerial photograph (CUCAP ASW 25-6, BGH 26-8) (max. diam. of outer enclosure c. 70m). A decorated stone (CW016-064001-) was recorded on the NW slope. Aerial photograph (GB95.FQ.26) shows cropmarks of three concentric fosses surrounding the denuded central cairn of the barrow. Reference: Barrett, G.F. 'Early landscapes in County Carlow: an aerial perspective, in T. McGrath and T. O'Keefe (eds), County Carlow: History and Society, Geography Publications, Dublin. Forthcoming 2008.

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