What is recorded here

Two small circular altars stand inside a rath and promontory fort in County Mayo, one within a children’s burial ground and the other slightly west. Westropp described the first as a low slab circle heaped with white quartz pebbles, bright against the dark earth. They are small enough to touch, yet they sit beside dead children and old fort walls, making prayer feel both tender and dangerous.

Located within a rath (MA075-001008) which is enclosed within a promontory fort (MA075-001001-). Two small circular features labelled ‘Altars’ are indicated on the 1920 OS 6-inch map, one (MA075-001011-) within a children’s burial ground in the SE quadrant of the rath, and one (MA075-001012-) to W of the burial ground. They are both listed in the SMR (1991) and the RMP (1997) as 'altar'. Westropp (1914, 315) described the leacht (MA075-001011-) within the children’s burial ground as ‘ a circular ‘altar’ of slabs 6 feet [1.8m] each way and barely 3 feet [0.9m] high, heaped with white quartz pebbles’ and he noted this leacht as ‘A similar leacht stands outside the Killeen 54 feet [c. 16m] westward.’ Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 7 August 2015

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