Disert Bibar — Crossbeg

In pasture, located on a rise in undulating terrain, overlooked by a hill at NW. It overlooks Crossbeg Lough, now drained, 300m to N, and another lake, Crossard Lough is located 260m to E. Not shown on the 1838 OS 6-inch map; shown on the 1916 edition as a hachured enclosure called ‘Disert Bibar’, within which a church ‘Site of’ (MA082-035001) and a church ‘in Rns’ ( MA082-035002), a burial ground MA082-035003) and a bullaun stone (MA082-035005) are indicated. This early medieval ecclesiastical enclosure consists of a sub-circular area (91m WNW–ESE; 91m NNW–SSE) enclosed by a low, sod-covered stone bank (Wth 3m; int. H 0.3m; ext. H 0.8m). The stone bank, which probably represents a collapsed wall, has been partly levelled at NW–SE; it is overlain at S by a straight E–W field fence, and at SSW–N is incorporated into another stone field fence (Wth 1m) which respects the curve of the enclosure. Shallow remnants of a field ditch (Wth 0.8m) are evident on the inner face of the field fence at S and W. Immediately outside the enclosing wall at W–N a low scarp (Wth 1.7m; H 0.5m) respecting the curve of the enclosure; it is unclear if this is part of the primary enclosing element of the enclosure. The enclosure straddles a natural rise, incorporating level elevated ground in the W half, with a marked slope down from there to NE–E (drop in height c. 1.7m), and a more gentle slope down to SE. Slightly to SE of centre, straddling this break of slope, there is a raised subrectangular area (c. 25m N–S; c. 20m E–W) defined at SW–NNE by a sod-covered stone bank (Wth 1.5m; H 0.5m) which changes at NE–S to a much less distinct scarp (H c. 1.2m) that merges with the natural fall of ground. Located on this raised area, is a church (MA082-035002), indicated as ‘Church (Site of) on the 1916 OS 6-inch map, and visible now as a slight, roughly rectangular hollow. Lying within the hollow, is a bullaun stone (MA082-035005) and a possible standing stone (MA082-035006). A single hawthorn tree stand at the NE edge of the hollow. A number of low undulations/sod-covered stones banks (Wth 1.5-1.7m; H 0.4-0.6) radiating from the central raised area, creating internal divisions within the large enclosure. Two such divisions, one extending to NNW and the other to NE, separate the level elevated W quadrant of the interior from the lower, sloping ground in the N–NE quadrant. In the E half of the interior, more ephemeral divisions outline a rectangular area (23m E–W, 11m N–S) extending from the central raised area to the perimeter wall at E. This rectangular area is slightly sunken and is sub-divided by a N–S cross wall, surviving only as a slight scarp, into two unequal parts. The smaller sunken area (10m E–W; 11m N–S) to E is, according to local tradition, the site of the second church (MA082-035002-), which is marked as ‘Ch. (in Rns.)’ on the 1916 OS 6-inch map. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 22 December 2021