Hachured, Mote — Portloman

Monument placed on the Register of Historic Monuments on the 17/02/1977. Extract from Iris Oifigiúil 25th February 1977. Portloman Abbey (WM011-145----) and Lough Owel 200m to E, standing stone (WM011-146----) 170m to SSW, bowl-barrow (WM011-139----) 300m to NNW. In 1912 it was recorded that a medieval graveslab (WM011-145002-) was excavated out of the mound located in the field beside Portloman Church (WM011-145----) and graveyard (WM011-145001-) (Tuite 1912, 69). The slab 'was found in the centre of the earthwork, on a level with the surrounding land, but there is no tradition that any human remains were underneath. Almost ever since this beautiful old stone has served the ignoble purpose of an improvised footway across the boundary-ditch which separates the farm on which it was found from the adjoining graveyard of Portloman' (Tuite 1912, 69). This mound was described by James Tuite (1912, 69) as following; 'The greater part of the mound still exists, and from examination it would appear that the work of excavation was carefully carried out. At present it stands about 18 feet (5.5m) in height; originally it was probably not more than 22 feet (6.7m). It is of the usual type we see scattered over the country, and in which Westmeath is particularly rich, especially this west shore of Lough Owel. In the immediate neighbourhood, and quite near the lake, is the mound of Forraidh, where Fiachra, brother of Nial of the Nine Hostages, was interred (Silva Gadelica); the mounds at Slanemore, associated with the ancient tale, Táin Bó Cuailgne; and the celebrated hill of Fremhain (Frewin); while Portloman itself occupies a very prominent place in Irish ecclesiastical history. I may also add that the Slige Assail, one of the great roads from Tara, runs through the above-named townlands, and its course can be distinctly traced in several places'. The presence of a medieval graveslab underneth the mound suggests that either the mound dates from the medieval period or that it was a prehistoric burial mound reused in the medieval period. Surveyed in 2012 and described by McGuinness (2012, 31-2) as following: ‘Enormous circular mound (Diam. 34.5m N-S x 35.5m E-W) with rounded, almost conical profile and flat-topped, irregular-shaped summit (Diam. 4.5m N-S x 4.5m E-W), surrounded by relatively shallow ditch, up to 0.3m in depth below external ground level, that is best preserved at SE and running from S to SW. Height of mound above ditch ranges from 3.06m on S side to 4.04m on N side. It is possible that apex of mound may be stepped, as at Slane More (WM018-078----) this effect is most pronounced at S and SW, where there is a clear drop of O.5m. On SE side, the well-defined ditch has what appears to be a counterscarp bank, but this effect seems to be created by a falling off of natural ground-surface just beyond ditch to SE, a topographical feature that can be traced running off from the barrow in a NE direction. Width of ditch ranges from 2.5m at ESE to 5.5m at N, where it is broad, shallow and indistinct, so that overall diameter of monument is 44m N-S x 44m E-W. Even allowing for erosion, size of ditch is completely insufficient to account for the mass of earth in the mound, which might possibly represent a modified kame or other sort of glacial hillock common in this area. Profile of mound is irregular on E and NE sides, as if material has been removed, and it has suffered recent erosion in places due to grazing sheep. There are two mature deciduous trees on E and S edges of mound and others close by, all probably planted in the 18th century. Monument is situated in low-lying pasture c. 250m to SW of Lough Owel. Beginning 20m to WNW of the barrow is a broad, sunken channel 12m in width and 0.5m in depth, which runs off in a WNW direction. Mr Dermot Bannon, a local landowner, identified this as the ancient road known as the Slighe Asail. The ancient, embanked curvilinear enclosure surrounding the ruined medieval church (WM011-145----) of Portloman, site of an early foundation (WM011-145005-) (Swan 1988, 10), lies 190m to ENE on shore of Lough Owel; the church may itself be situated on a stepped barrow or tumulus. The RMP documents two standing stones in the vicinity of the barrow: one less than 200m to SW (WM011-146----), now apparently removed but modern according to a local landowner Mr Dermot Bannon; the other stands fixed in cement over 300m to SE (WM011-147----), and comprises a narrow, angular pillar rubbed smooth by animals, which Mr Bannon also plausibly regards as recent’. See attached profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Date of revised upload: 30 August 2017