Barrow — mound barrow in Rathbennett

Surveyed in 2012 and described by McGuinness (2012, 32-3) as following: ‘Monument currently presents as a markedly oval to sub-rectangular mound (8m N-S x 11m E-W) with long axis running E-W, ranging from 1.65-1.9m in height with steep sides and flat top; from cattle erosion, it appears to be composed mostly of soil with some stone (but see summary of excavation below). Although it looks similar to the single view published by R.A.S. Macalister and Ruby Murray (1931-2, PL. XII), its oblong shape would be unusual for an Early Bronze Age burial mound and Macalister gives his own measurements as 34ft 8in. (c. 10.6m) N-S and 37ft 10in. (c. 11.5m) E-W, suggesting that the elongated N and/or S sides of the tumulus have been trimmed by several metres since the early 1930s. Monument has been extensively damaged around edges by cattle in recent times, and this may partly account for its unusual shape, although it had apparently already been altered by Macalister and Murray's time—probably when an Ordnance Survey bench-mark was established on it: To the south and east there is an appearance suggesting a late spreading of the material, and it is highly probable that the summit was lowered by casting down some of the component stones and earth upon those sides, when the mound was adapted for the purposes of the survey. on the north sides the tumulus abuts on the boundary ditch and hedge of the field, and its sides are steeper and have a more original appearance (1931-2, 308). The mound was excavated by Macalister and Murray with five labourers in a single day in 1931, and although 'restored' afterwards, there are no indications that they did anything but dig down from the upper surface, their trench being c. 3m in diameter. Underneath the 'superficial sods and grass, they found the mound to consist 'chiefly of small field stones ... [with] much earth between them'; in this matrix they found a cow's tooth and a single quartz pebble. About 0.76m below the summit they found three slabs resting on one another, underneath which was the capstone of a N-S oriented rectangular cist (0.63m x 0.36m). The E and W walls of the cist extended beyond the end wall on the S side, forming an extension paved with a single, neatly fitting slab, beyond which—outside the extension—was another rectangular paving-slab as wide as the whole cist (Fig. 5A); nothing was found under these slabs. On their sides at the NE and SE corners of the cist were two Early Bronze Age Food Vessels of the bowl tradition, one tripartite, the other ribbed. Throughout the fill of the cist, and to some extent above the capstone, were tiny scattered fragments of an unburnt human skeleton. Also found were bones of rat and frog and two jet beads. On account of the small size of the cist, the character of the human bones and the presence of animal bones, the excavators argued that a defleshed and disarticulated skeleton was reburied here (Macalister and Murray 1931-2; Waddell 1990, 151-4, Fig. 117; Ó Ríordáin and Waddell 1993, 141-2, Figs 213-214). Mound is on flat hilltop, which begins to slope down quite steeply 37m to SSE, so that when site is approached from this side it is mostly invisible until the summit is reached. From the hilltop, Frewin Hill (WM011-133----) is visible to S. Lough Owel and Knockdrin (WM012-183----) to SE, and Lough Iron to W. Macalister and Murray (1931-2, 311) refer to a 'local belief that the monument belongs to the Táin Bó Cúalnge period or later'. A few fields downslope to W is the townland of Farra or Farrow, identified by Shaw (1921, 145) as the spot called 'Forrach', where Fiachra, brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages, died and was buried after being wounded on an expedition into Munster, according to the Book of Leinster (Wallace 1987, 25). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Date of upload: 22 April 2016