What is recorded here

Half a kilometre of ridge north of Castleblakney still holds an eight metre trackway cut between terraces and a living bank. People may have climbed that steep glacial spine to watch the valley, trade with neighbours or keep something dangerous at a distance. The earth remembers the shape of their feet even when the names have slipped away.

On a short but steep-sided NE-SW running glacial ride (L c. 250m), on N outskirts of Castleblakney village. From SW end of the ridge, where OS 6-inch map shows the site of a castle (GA060-081001-), a narrow trackway (Wth 8m) runs along its summit towards the lower NE end. This trackway is flanked on either side by a series of terraces (Wth 3.4-4m), supplemented along W side by a linear bank and fosse. Two wide fosses, running NW-SE, traverse the ridge, one at SW end delimiting the castle site, and another shallower example towards NE end. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). Date of upload: 05 August 2010

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