Enclosure in Gortaknockeare

In pasture, near top of S-facing slope. Not visible at ground level. Surface of field undulates gently and there is a very slight trace of some humps and hollows, but in no diagnostic arrangement. On the 1st (1840) ed. OS 6-inch map two roughly circular conjoined enclosures are depicted. These do not seem to relate to the depiction on the later 1954 revision which indicates a roughly rectangular enclosure (TS067-050001-) (dims. c. 27m N-S at the E end, tapering to c. 20m at the W end; c. 46m E-W) with a possible entrance in the western end of the S bank. The W bank is depicted as continuing to run NW-SE southeastward from the SE angle where it joins with a curvilinear scarp running SE-S. Immediately N of the rectangular enclosure there is a roughly D-shaped enclosure (TS067-0050002-) (dims. c. 30m N-S; c. 51m E-W along the S bank which it shares with the rectangular enclosure). There is a gap at the N end of the E length of bank. At the SE angle, instead of running onto the bank of the rectangular enclosure, the NW bank continues to run southward parallel and immediately W of the W bank of the rectangular enclosure, and terminates roughly parallel to the latters SW angle. An outer enclosing scarp is depicted from SW-N with a gap (13m) in the W. This scarp is c. 39m N of the N bank of the D-shaped enclosure and c. 17m W of the W bank of this enclosure and 10m SW of the SW angle. The curvilinear scarp SE of the rectangular enclosure may be a continuation of this outer scarp. There are three associated natural ponds, one (dims. c. 13m x 8.7m) lies c. 10m E of the rectangular enclosure, one (dims. c. 7m x 4.5m) lies c. 8m S of the S scarp and one (dims. c. 11m x 9.5m) lies c. 13m W of the W scarp. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of revised upload: 12 November 2015