Barrow — ring-barrow in Ballingoola

In wet pasture, 5m E of a tributary of the Camoge River. A second ring-barrow (LI023-067001-) lies 4m to N. Not depicted on OSi historic maps. Identified by Ó Ríordáin and MacDermott (1949, 127) as a ring-barrow (Ballingoola I) and described as a level circular-shaped area (diam. 6m) defined by a shallow ditch and the remains of an outer bank which was only discernible in places. Excavated by MacDermott and described as following; The sites, which consisted of a level space enclosed by a shallow ditch and a very slight outer bank (only discernible in places), were approximately of equal size 6 metres in diameter from outside of ditch to outside of ditch. Their centres were 10 metres apart. Before excavation the ditch of Site I (the southern barrow) was most clearly marked at the south side and traces of an outer bank were discernible at the south and south-east, rising up at the south-east towards the edge of a modern field-ditch which bordered on the sites at this side. The outer bank was again visible at the north where the ground rose and fell again to leave a slight depression between Sites I and II. Outside the barrows, to the east, the ground sloped towards a depression caused by an ancient river bed which could be also traced round the south of Barrow I. On excavation it was seen that the soil conditions on these sites were similar to those at Ballingoola III and IV a tenacious yellow clay underlay the humus everywhere except in the western half of Site I where boulder clay appeared. The ditches were cut into the clay to a depth of approximately 48cm. They had evidently filled or been filled very rapidly because the fill was practically indistinguishable from the undisturbed clay, but their outline was clearly marked in the sections by a dark humus band. The slight outer bank could not be seen in all the sections but in some places appeared clearly as a thin spread over the old turf line. There were no traces of any structure or grave remains in either barrow. Scatters of charcoal and burnt stone appeared near the centre in all quadrants of Site I. In the south-east quadrant were two dark hollows, approximate depth 35 cm., containing much charcoal and burnt stone. Some small fragments of coarse gritty pottery came from the hollow at the south. Trenches were cut through these hollows to determine the relation ship between them and the ditch and it was revealed that the ditch had been cut into the burnt material which therefore ante-dated the barrow. Charcoal and burnt stone also appeared under the bank at the east. Besides the pottery which was not distinctive, the only other finds from Ballingoola I were a small flint flake and some waste fragments of chert' (Ó Ríordáin and MacDermott 1949, 139-42). Monument is not visible on Digital Globe orthophotos taken 2011-13 or on Google Earth orthoimages taken 28/06/2018. See attached sketch plan of barrow and location map showing barrow marked I after Ó Ríordáin and MacDermott 1949. Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 29 August 2020