Earthwork in Moorfield OR Gortnamona

In level grassland c. 50m to the E of a drain. Marked on the 1838 edition of the OS 6-inch map as a large irregular enclosure (c. 90m NNW-SSE; c. 73m ENE-WSW) embanked from ENE to W to NNE and defined by a fosse/scarp from NNE to ENE. A field boundary cut across it from roughly W to ENE and a pathway lead from its SW corner to a farmhouse to the ESE. On the 1944-5 revision of the map only the section of the monument to the S of the field boundary is shown and it is indicated by a line of hachures indicating the S end of a rectangular enclosure. On inspection in September 1984 the remains consisted of a very large roughly rectangular earthwork (83m N-S; 72m E-W) divided by the ENE-WSW running field boundary. To the S of the field boundary the monument was delimited by a very low bank (Wth c. 3m; H c. 0.05m), the edges of which were very indistinct. The S side was 35m to the S of the field boundary. To the N of the field boundary a raised rectangular area (48m N-S; 41m E-W) was defined by a scarp (H 1.1m). About 35m to its E a faint rise or bank was visible. Current OSi aerial imagery suggest that the monument has since been levelled but faint traces of its outline are visible to the N of the field boundary. Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG Date of upload: 4 December 2019