Hilltop enclosure in Cumber Lower,cumber Upper,forelacka,lismoney

The monument was included in the SMR based on a reference to a ‘Rath’ located on this hilltop described in Cooke’s History of Birr which was published in 1875. In this book, T. L. Cooke stated that a figure of horseman carved in stone (OF036-0016002-) was found, ‘in the year 1844, in a large earthen rath or ring on Knock-na-man, that is, the “hill of God”, or “hill of the sun”, or “hill of the altar” (Cooke 1875, 154). Cooke goes on to record that ‘This rath stands high, and is a very conspicuous object, surrounded by large stones which appear to have undergone the action of fire; and the ashes is still plainly to be seen around wherever holes are dug for planting’ (Cooke 1875, 154). Cooke appears to be describing the remains of a hilltop cashel or possibly even a stone circle rather than a hillfort, however, today there is no evidence of any stone cashel or of any large stones enclosing the hilltop known as ‘Knocknaman’. The large scale drainage ditches which were excavated to drain the hilltop for the deciduous woodland plantation may have destroyed or removed the large stones described by Cooke. In 1908, Hitchcock confirms Cooke’s observations that there was an enclosure on the top of Knocknaman. In 1908 he wrote, ‘On the right of the road from Kinnetty, Knocknaman rises with its fir trees standing like a frill on its nearer slope, gapped here and there by the storm of four years ago, and with its ancient ring on its rounded brow’ (Hitchcock 1908, 46). Based on these two references it appears that there was some form of enclosure on the hilltop at Knocknaman that was visible in the early 1900s. The monument was entered into the SMR based on the above antiquarian reference dating from 1875 and Air Corps aerial photograph 740/739 which shows two curving field boundaries that are visible on other aerial photographic coverage of the area [Google Maps]. There are no visible surface remains of any fully enclosing element for a hillfort on the northern side of the hilltop which joined onto the curving field boundaries on the southern side of the hill. These curving field boundaries are not present on the 1838 edition of the OS 6-inch maps but are present on the revised 1908 edition of the OS 6-inch maps and are visible on aerial photographs. Traces of a curving ditch cutting across the 19th century forestry drainage ditches which may be remains of an enclosing element associated with a hilltop enclosure cabn be traced on the N side of the hilltop. However the poor condition of this feature, its lack of completeness, and the absence of an inner bank all mitigate against this feature forming part of an enclosing rampart associated with a hillfort or hilltop enclosure. The antiquarian description of the monument on Knocknaman appears to be fanciful as it describes a cashel or possible stone circle on the hilltop. The antiquarian also describes the finding of a stone horseman on this hilltop which contradicts the provenance of this find listed in Catalogue of the Great Industrial Exhibition of 1853. T.L. Cooke recorded that the horseman was found inside the hilltop enclosure on Knocknaman, a second reference records that this statue was found on a motte located beside Castle Bernard now Kinnitty Castle’. The stone horseman was displayed in 1853 at the Great Industrial Exhibition in Dublin where its provenance was described in the catalogue of exhibits as an ‘Image, supposed to be of Eochaidh, the tutelary semi-god, whom the Pagan Irish believed to preside over cattle and horses. It was found in a moate or barrow, within the demesne, and close to the mansion, of Castle Bernard, King's County’(Anon 1853, 146). In 1875, Cooke suggested that the statue was found inside the hilltop enclosure or cashel on the top of Knocknaman. In 1908, Hitchcock confirms the details written in the 1853 catalogue when he wrote that, ‘a small equestrian statue which was unearthed from an ancient rath on the Castle Bernard estate known as "the Moate" (OF046-044003-). Hitchcock recorded that this horseman may have been located on or near the site of an ‘Irish mote, which is not a deep trench but a high rath, one at Castle Bernard’ (Hitchcock 1908, 46). There is a large Anglo-Norman motte beside ‘Castle Bernard’ which is marked on the OS maps as ‘Moat’ (OF046-044003-). The documentary evidence suggests that there was some form of hilltop enclosure or hillfort encircling the top of the hill known as Knocknaman. This hilltop enclosure appears to have been largely destroyed when drainage channels were excavated on the hilltop in preparation for a deciduous woodland plantation during the 19th century on the northern side of the hill. In more recent times the planting of a coniferous plantation on the southern side of the hill has covered if not destroyed all traces of any hilltop enclosure on this side of the hill. No evidence of any archaeological features in the soil have been exposed by the construction of this forestry roadway and there is no evidence of the enclosing bank or fosse in exposed sections of the roadway. The ephemeral traces of an enclosing fosse and bank on the northwest side of the hill may be the remains of the severely damaged hilltop enclosure described by Cooke in the 19th century. The hillfort was recently described in the Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland as following; 'Large multiple enclosure in commanding position surrounding summit of a steep hilltop, at E edge of Slieve Bloom Mountains. Site overlooks Camcor River to N and is positioned 1.9km to the NE of Ballymacmurragh hillfort. Most likely bivallate for the entire circuit. The total site foot print is approximately 12.2ha. There are no recorded breaks in the enclosing elements. No evidence for any internal features on the surface. Ramparts are largely obscured due to dense tree and scrub cover. Limited site description by Cooke (1875, 154). S section of inner enclosing elements recorded as a field boundary in second edition Ordnance Survey mapping. A number of field boundaries meet at the center of the hillfort. These form the townland boundaries of Cumber Lower, Cumber Upper, Forelacka and Lismoney.' (http://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk/records/IR0696.html) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled and revised by Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 6 February 2020