Ecclesiastical enclosure in Teeromoyle

This site is located in poor pasture land which slopes gently from the foot of Teermoyle mountain to the Ferta river, 300m to SW. It commands a wide view of the surrounding countryside and comprises a subrectangular burial area, located towards the N end of a possible early enclosure. Standing within the burial area is a cross-slab and an ogham stone. Skinner records that rounds were formerly performed at the site on Good Fridays (ITA). The subrectangular burial area, raised .5m above external ground level at S, measures 21.7m NW-SE x 15.5m NE-SW. It is located in the E corner of a modem field and is bounded at N and E by field walls. It is delimited elsewhere by a stony bank. Planted with spruce trees, the interior contains about thirty small, upright slabs, the majority of which occur in regular rows. These slabs presumably relate to the use of the site as a ceallúnach, which continued until the beginning of the twentieth century (local information). Approximately 30m NW of the burial ground is a curving stretch of stony bank with an external fosse. It may have formed part of an early enclosure. Adjacent to its inner face at W are a number of small, angular stretches of banks, and the foundations of a large rectangular building measuring 15.8m NE-SW x 11.2m NW-SE. The above description is derived from O'Sullivan, A. and Sheehan, J. (compilers) 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University press. (1996), no. 972. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 13 June 2013