Barrow — unclassified in Rathwire Upper

Monument surveyed in 2015 and described by McGuinness (2015, 67-9) as following: ‘Complex, challenging and greatly damaged earthwork, currently comprising an elongated, roughly heel-shaped and steep-sided basal mound or platform (20.1m N-S x 16.4m E-W), with curve of heel to S, on which end is a roughly circular, steep-sided mound with overall EW diameter of 7.6m and flat top (Diam. 3.8m N-S x 4.2m E-W). Basal platform rises up to 1.05m above ground level on E side and 1.1m at W. Its N end is defined by a straight line running at an oblique angle to its long axis; although this has the appearance of having been done by modern farm machinery, and we know that the site has been extensively damaged in recent decades (see below), it nonetheless seems to be depicted on 1838 OS 6” map where it runs at right angles to long axis of monument— here shown with its long axis running NNW-SSE. On the surface, this appears to be the result of confusion on the part of the surveyors: the WSW-ENE orientation of the straight line is accurate, but the surveyors have projected the rest of the heel symmetrically at right angles to this line. Earlier accounts provide a significant challenge to this interpretation, however, which will be considered below. Near centre of flat side of heel as it currently presents is an indent 1m in width and c. 2m in depth, sloping up from current edge of mound to top of platform, with the appearance of a ramped entranceway. Close to N end of platform, just S of this indent, is a low, E-W running elongated mound or ridge of earth—much overgrown when visited by the survey-team on a single occasion—which effectively blocks direct access from ‘ramp’ to mound. On its N side, upper mound on S side of platform rises 1m above basal platform which extends 7.8m to N of it; its height is similar above the narrow ledges forming adjacent E and W sides of platform; on S side the slope of side of mound continues that of basal platform, giving a total height of 2.3m at this end of monument. This site has been severely damaged, leaving it with the appearance of a miniature motte and bailey. For a start, the historic OS 25” map shows a segment of bank composed of three straight lines surrounding SW quadrant of basal platform, c. 10m out from it, which has been removed by ploughing but still shows up in aerial photographs. When the same ASI fieldworker visited the site in both 1970 and 1977, the bank was still visible with a ditch between it and the platform, and more intriguingly, a greater extent of N end of platform survived. The more complete account of 29/4/77 is given here: The site consists of two conjoined artificial earthen mounds enclosed from NW-W-S-SE by an earthen stone bank which is best preserved on the SWW. The bank is absent on the E, NE and N – may have been ploughed out – there are traces of old cultivation ridges between the bank and the mounds in the W sector. Between the bank and mounds there is a wide flat shallow fosse and the area enclosed is roughly set circular or square in plan. Three are no indications of a fosse outside the bank. The bank has been dug into on the SW and here too there are two boulders on the crest. The mounds have a fairly circular shape, the S mound somewhat steeper than the N. There is some recent defacement on the SW slope of the S mound and the N mound has an older depression on top. The junction is regular and show incurving. The bank has sharp ‘corners’ and a sharp profile. It may be that the two conjoined barrows are the original site with a later stone earthen (field) bank placed on the W-S. There is also a short projecting bank at the SW corner extending down the natural slope. [SMR file] The account of 10/4/70 gives additional information on the mounds and dimensions for the bank: The two conjoined mounds are unusual. They may be barrows or they may be formed from the material of the demolished part of the bank. They are conjoined in the N-S line. The S. one is flat-topped and oval. The N one is also oval and portion of its top has been dug away…. Top width of bank at W = 80cm; Overall width of bank at W = 3m; Internal height of bank at W = 60cm; External height of bank at W = 65cm. [SMR file] A sketch-plan of the site in the earlier account clearly shows the two mounds at opposite ends of a long oval platform, the whole surrounded at S and W by the now-destroyed outer bank—shown as curvilinear rather than angular. A third short account by the same fieldworker, dated 17/5/77, only a month after the second, pinpoints the time of its destruction: Having seen the twin mounds at Lakill and Moortown [WM007-015----; WM007-015001-] I would take this to be a pair of burial mounds too. The bank from SSE-S-W has been completely removed recently and most of the north eastern mound has been removed also. It would appear from these accounts that the north end of the platform was of much greater extent until recently. This conflicts with the suggested interpretation given above, according to which the obliquely sliced N end of platform and its overall heel-shape—both features still apparent—are shown on the 1838 OS 6” map. When we consider that the 25” map, which is of a later date than the First Edition 6” map, shows a more complete oval or rather pear-shaped central element with pointed end to N, and a stretch of bank beyond it at S and W—far from its current appearance and much closer to the 1970s ASI accounts,— a revised interpretation seems more probable. If we take it that the 1838 map depicts the outer edge of the entire monument, rather than just the inner, currently surviving platform and mound, then the heel-shape refers to the outer bank and not the platform, which is not depicted and was presumably oval-shaped to go by the 25” map: the orientation of the heel shape would therefore not, as suggested above, be the result of a mistaken projecting of the rounded southern part of the heel at right angles to an obliquely sliced northern end; rather it would quite accurately depict the curve of the SW-stretch of outer bank as it was shown on the 25” map and survived until 1977, but this is continued around E side of platform either to ensure symmetry in the depiction or perhaps because in 1838 the bank actually did extend around this side. Although this monument must for the moment be left as unclassified, it can be very tentatively suggested that in its original form it comprised a pair of conjoined bowl-barrows sharing a common, oval-shaped ditch, as at Lakill and Moortown (WM007-015----; WM007-015001-), but here with a bank outside the ditch. This monument, the subject of a preservation order since 1977, is very prominently situated at SW edge of a NW-SE-running spur of a hill rising up to 153m OD c. 1km to N; visibility is excellent to S and SW. Although there is higher ground to N, where a prominent hilltop just under 1km away has another unusual barrow (WM020-087----), the land falls away much more sharply to SW, so that when approached from this side, where a second unclassified-barrow (WM020-124----) is visible much lower down, the present barrow appears to be prominently located on a false summit. This and WM020-087---- AND WM020-124---- are part of a broader group of barrows on and around the elevated ground west of Killucan, including the well-known and tightly-knit cemetery at Rathnarrow/Lisnabin (WM020-109----112----/113----/114----)’. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Date of upload: 10 February 2016 This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 18/1977).