Druidical Circle — Castleruddery Lower

National Monument in state ownership No. 441. Situated on a natural rise with gentle slopes to S, W and E and overlooking the River Slaney (250m to the S). The stone circle (diam. 30m) consists of large boulders, originally contiguous, some standing upright and others erected on their long axis. The circle is largely intact at the N but is less well-preserved to the S. It consists of twenty-nine substantial stones and a number of smaller fragments with some loose boulders occurring in the interior which is otherwise featureless. Wedge marks and boreholes in several stones indicate deliberate destruction. The entrance (Wth 1.3m) appears to be between two exceptionally large quartz boulders (L 2.4m and 3m; Wth 1.2m and 1.8m) at the E. Abutting onto the outer face of the circle is an earthen bank (diam. 40m; Wth 4.5m; max. H 1m), the terminals of which encompass the quartz boulders of the entrance. Some boulders along the outer edge of the bank may indicate an outer revetment. To the E of the entrance (at 15.8m) is a single upright stone. A field bank cuts across the outer edge of the bank at the S. The site occurs centrally within a well-defined cropmark enclosure (diam. c. 80m; CUCAP, BDR039) defined by a fosse (Wth c. 4-5m). Between this and the earthen bank is a narrower cropmark defined by a trench or narrow fosse (diam. c. 50m; Wth c. 1m). (Walshe 1931, 131-4; Leask 1945, 266-7; Burl 1993, 106, 240; 1995, 249-50) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 30 June 2010 G. Conroy. This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 109/1940).