Settlement deserted — medieval in Carrowroe

The Strafford map of 1636 shows a village with a church in Carron townland (Simington 1949, Ballintober A (25)). Situated on a gentle N-facing slope in a field known locally as the church field. An area of about 10 ha (c. 25 acres) contains about eight small rectangular fields (dims c. 25m x 35m to c. 50m x 50m) defined by earthen banks (Wth 3-5.5m; int. H 0.1-0.2m; ext. H 0.4-0.6m), sometimes with silted drains (Wth 1-2m; D 0.2m), or defined simply by scarps (H 0.2m-0.4m). These fields are at the S end of the complex and are gathered around an open area (Wth c. 10-30m) running NE-SW (L c. 200m) which may be a roadway. At least 6 house platforms (dims c. 5-10m x c. 3m) defined by scarps (H 0.2-0.4m) can be identified close to the possible roadway, and an isolated platform (dims 17m NW-SE; 16m NE-SW) at its SW end may be the church (RO040-051002-). Extending NW of the house platforms and smaller fields are four larger strips divided into fields (dims 90-100 NW-SE; 35-50m NE-SW). The entire field was planted in barley for the first time in 2010. Archaeological testing (11E0320) at the S extremity of the area failed to produce any related material (O'Hara 2011). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 8th August 2011. O’Hara, B. 2011 Archaeological monitoring of a proposed development at Carrowroe townland, Co. Roscommon. Licence No. 0320, Unpublished report, Midlands Archaeological Services