Ceremonial enclosure in Newtown OR Skirk

Situated in grassland with stream 90m to W marking county boundary with Tipperary, poorly drained land to W with two fulacht fia (LA021-009----/LA021-008----) 95m and 85m to N and NW respectively. Henge monument (LA021-021001-) located c. 800m to SE. A large circular shaped enclosure (approx. diam. 96m N-S) defined by a slight bank with faintest suggestion of an external ditch with possible annexe of uncertain antiquity at NE. The cropmark of the possible annexe is depicted as a curving field boundary on the OS 25-inch map but is not depicted on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map which suggests that this feature may date from the 19th century. To S are faint linear cropmarks which may suggest the site of a possible field system of uncertain antiquity. Some of these field boundaries are depicted on the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map. It is possible that the linear cropmarks identified may be a combination of the remains of old water courses associated with the stream which forms the W boundary of the field and post-1700 field boundaries depicted on various editions of the OS 6-inch maps. The straight linear cropmark running NE-SW which is 23m S of the enclosure is depicted on the 25-inch OS map as a stream or watercourse flowing from SE to NW. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien with details kindly provided by Stephen Kehoe of the Discovery Programme - see attached labelled aerial photograph showing identification of features by Stephen Kehoe Date of upload: 24 April 2018