530 ft. OD — Knockfennell

National monument No. 247. Situated on the summit of Knockfennell overlooking the N shoreline of Lough Gur 235m to S in an area with a rich concentration of prehistoric monuments. Red Cellar cave (LI032-281----) 65m to SE, stone circle (LI032-014010-) 220m to SSE, field system (LI032-014001-), hut sites (LI032-014007-/008-/) and cashel (LI032-014006-) to SW, enclosure (LI032-183----) 260m to W. Similar in size and morphology to a ring-cairn (LI032-022031-) known as 'Dun Gair' standing on the summit of Knockmore which is visible 780m to SSE. Depicted as a small circular shaped area with OD in centre marking spot height of 531 ft. OD on revised edition of the OS 6-inch map. Classified as a ring-barrow by O'Kelly (1944, 47) and described as following: 'A continuous rubble stone kerb 50' [15m] in overall diameter delineates this monument, which is situated on the highest point of Knockfennell. Its centre is a hollow bowl shape. It was excavated but the results were inconclusive, the only finds being pockets of cremated bone at various points round the kerb. There was no dating evidence. The excavation was directed by Dr. S. P. Ó Ríordáin'. The monument was described by Ó Ríordáin as a 'small cairn on hill-top' which he excavated in the 1940s (Ó Ríordáin 1954, 458). In 1978 the monument was described a ring-cairn situated on the summit of Knockfennell consisting of a ring-cairn of stones about 15m in diameter enclosing a hollow bowl shaped interior. Pockets of human bones were found amongst the orthostats (O'Kelly and O'Kelly 1978, 41). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 21 May 2018 This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 161/1941).