Ring-ditch in Ardoyne

Located in a relatively flat location in a large tillage field (c. 92m OD) close to the centre of the modern field (in 2021). Sited c. 295m SE\SSE of an enclosure (WI042-001----), and c. 616m NNE of a ruinous church (WI042-003001-) and an associated graveyard (WI042-003002-), that are located within the same townland of Ardoyne close to the border with County Carlow. The ring-ditch, one of a number within the same large field including a ring-ditch (WI047-028----) located c. 91m to the W, is visible on Google Earth aerial photograph of the site (July 2021). It consists of a circular feature (ext. dims c. 11.9m N-S x c. 11.1m E-W) defined by a continuous ditch (Wth c. 1.4m) that can be generally traced along the entire circuit in the above aerial photograph but is most clearly evident along an arc running from NW to the NE. No evidence for an entrance gap. Interestingly, the ring-ditch is located neatly within a linear feature (ext. dims c. 349m E-W x c. 9.5-11.1m N-S) that runs roughly E to W across the entire Wth of the modern field, and is characterised by two roughly parallel ditches or features (Wth c. 1.5 to c. 2.1m). This may represent an earlier routeway, field boundaries\ditches etc. Compiled by: T.J. O'Meara based on details provided by Jean-Charles Caillère Uploaded on: 29/06/2023