Indicated — Ushnagh Hill

A report dating from 1976 describes the barrow as a ‘small circular bank of earth/stone with shallow internal fosse surrounding a small central mound (diam. 8m E-W) of stones. It is situated on top of a high outcrop of limestone and is probably a small ring-barrow. Located close to the top of the hill. Excavated by Macalister [No. 2]. There is a modern boundary fence directly to the W of it’ (SMR file 25/04/1976). Described by Jim Reynolds as ‘a very small circular earthwork consisting of a small very low circular mound surrounded by a shallow fosse. Beyond this is a fairly wide low bank. The earthwork is on the northern slope of a hill with very wide views to east, north and west. There are several areas of rock outcrop in the vicinity of the barrow. To the north of the barrow the ground falls away fairly sharply’ (SMR File). Another site report dating from 1979 described the monument as a ‘very small stone/earth low mound is surrounded by a shallow fosse which is enclosed by an earth/stone bank very low. Placed on top of a stony knoll just N of the summit of the hill. The bank is gapped on the W, N and E. Macalister put a cutting through it but found nothing’ (SMR File 15/05/1979). A second report from the same date describes the monument as following; ‘The approx. circular area on top of a sharp knoll is slightly scarped and surrounded by a shallow fosse which is best seen on the W-S and E but hardly visible in some places. It is enclosed by a low earthen bank which again is best preserved on the NW, W and SW and also to be seen in the E sector. There is a probable gap or entrance feature on the N and SE. The interior rises to the flat top of the knoll and shows no sign of disturbance except in the SE sector where a hole has been dug beneath a large limestone (erratic) pillar. This may have been a standing stone. There is some disturbance along the line of the scarp and fosse in the N sector and in the W sector an old field fence runs close to the bank. Diam. 35m’ (SMR File 15/05/1979). Surveyed in 2013 and described by McGuinness (2014, 65) as following: 'Tiny, roughly circular mound (Diam. 3.2m N-S x 3.5m E-W) surrounded by a ditch, with an overall diameter of 7.8m (NS and EW). Traces of a bank are currently visible outside the ditch on S side, but Macalister and Praeger, who excavated and made a sketch-plan and profile of the monument, clearly document this bank all around the perimeter. Large limestone boulders protrude from the mound and, most noticeably on W side, from the outside of the ditch; these are shown to be part of the bank on Macalister and Praeger’s plan. To NW of mound a boulder appears to lie in the ditch. Ditch ranges from 1.7m to 2.3m in width, being widest on W side, and is up to 0.49m in depth below external ground level on deepest S side; mound rises up to 0.49m above ditch on N side. The author concurs with Schot (2006) in identifying this site as a ring-barrow. Macalister and Praeger aptly compared it to the ring-barrow at Grannagh, Co. Galway. They ‘trenched across’ the mound but ‘found absolutely no trace of interments or of any other deposits’, although ‘the disposition of the stones inside the mound was not unsuggestive of a roughly constructed grave’; no account of the excavation was provided—where they dug their trench, whether they accurately reconstructed the monument afterwards, etc.—although their sketch-plan appears to show these central stones. Barrow lies at N end of a broad, gently curving ridge with protruding boulders, apparently the terminus of a lateral moraine (pers. comm. Seamus O’Brien); ridge runs S towards ruined megalithic structure known as St. Patrick’s Bed (WM024-059----) on western summit of Hill of Ushnagh c. 150m to SSE. Ground falls away sharply to N of barrow. Frewin Hill (WM011-131---) and Knockdrin (WM012-183---), prominent locations of summit cairns or tumuli (McGuinness 2012, 28, 34-5), are visible to NE and ENE respectively'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 10 March 2016