Cursus in Ballyoskill

On the steep W-facing slope of an N-S hill, rising from 220m to over 300m over a distance of c. 300m. The top of the monument is on the crest of the hill. It falls gently to W initially (for c. 11m), drops (H 0.35m) and flattens out slightly on a natural terrace (for c. 5m) before falling steeply down slope to the base of the hill. In upland meadow. There are panoramic views S-W-N, with a very good view to the NE but only from the very top of the monument. Identified as a possible monument in 1955, this consists of two low earthen banks (L c. 310m), running roughly parallel downslope. The cursus terminates at the crest of the hill with a curving terminal bank (Wth 3.6m; overall Wth 8m; int. H 0.9m; ext. H 0.13m). In the upper portion, a profile across the monuments provides measures as follows, bank to N (Wth 2m; overall Wth 4.8m; ext. H 0.4m; int. H 0.65m), interior (Wth 13m), bank to S (Wth 2m; overall Wth 7m; ext. H 0.2m; int. H 0.75m).The banks appear to have a high concentration of stone, possibly stone-walling overgrown with grass sod. The stone is a local shale. The interior of the cursus is lower than the exterior. At the E end of the monument the banks are 7.7m apart, running westward, the monument widens as it runs down the slope, just above the first field boundary the banks are 20m apart. In the lower field it is not possible to trace the banks of the cursus, they may be incorporated in one or both of the field boundaries. The orientation of the cursus changes from W-facing at the top (L c. 125m) to WSW-facing (L c. 100m) and possibly back to W-facing, though it may continue WSW to the end. The banks are an overall width of c. 8-10m in the lower grassy field. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 12 June 2017