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In the SE sector of Lough Rea c. 170m from the shoreline. This small roughly subcircular island (c. 29m NE-SW; c. 27m NW-SE) is now overgrown with trees. According to Kinahan (1881-4, 228), it appeared to be 'surrounded by a circle of piles' and in the summer months 'gunbarrels and bronze spearheads' were said to have been brought up in the 'prongs of eelspears'. On the E side of the island 'traces of four canoes with their prows turned towards the shore' were noted. An attempt to raise one of them, 'a single-piece canoe of oak', failed because of its decomposed state and it broke in two pieces. Apparently the 'gunbarrels' were sunk in the lake in following the 1798 rebellion when all the guns around the country were seized and ordered to be destroyed. No trace of the 'circle of piles' was noted during a snorkel dive in the late 1990s(information from K. McDonald).
Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG
Date of upload: 7 January 2020
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