Field system in Gleann Seanchoirp

The broad glaciated Owenmore valley extends SW for a distance of about 4 miles (6.4km) from Cloghane village, on the W side of Brandon Bay, to the Conor Pass and Ballysitteragh mountain. The small misfit Owenmore river, fed by numerous tributaries, some of which emanate from corrie lakes in the mountains on either side, flows along the centre of the relatively level valley floor which is up to 1 mile (1.6km) wide in places. Much of the valley floor is now covered by blanket peat which is hand cut for local use as fuel, and the removal of this peat has revealed part of a system of stone walls at a point about 50m from the NW bank of the Owenmore river and 400 to 500m NE of the confluence of that river with the Cloghane river. For the most part the peat has been cut away only to the level of the tops of the walls, but the excavation of trackways and drains through the bog has provided some vertical sections where the walls can be seen to have been built on the boulder clay which underlies the peat. Three separate walls are visible at present. The 1st wall can be traced for a distance of 30 to 40m, extending SSE-NNW in a roughly straight line. The 2nd wall is first visible at a point 40m to NNW of the N end of wall (1), and it runs E for about 60m before disappearing. The 3rd wall commences about 25m to SE of the E end of wall (2) and extends E for about 94m. The accompanying photograph shows a section of wall (2) where it has been cut through by a trackway. The peat at this point is 1.4m deep and the wall, apparently of drystone construction, is .65m high and c. 0.85m wide. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 27. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 3 August 2013