Barrow — ring-barrow in Habsborough

Surveyed in 2013 and described by McGuinness (2014, 49-50) as following: 'Roughly circular ring-barrow (Diam. 25m N-S x 26.5m E-W) comprising a low circular mound (Diam. 8m N-S x 8.5m E-W) surrounded by a two ditches with a bank in between; for parts of the circumference, especially the higher ground on the NW side, there is what appears to be a second, broad, low external bank. Monument has been shaped from the top of a natural hillock, so that central mound is slightly higher than parts of inner bank, ground slopes down on all sides except NW, and outer ditch is appreciably lower than inner one except on NW side; nonetheless, despite the difference in height of natural ground on NW and SE sides, the overall impression is that the monument has been deliberately made to appear level from lower ground to E. Mound rises up to 0.36m above inner ditch. Inner bank is up to 3.5m in width where well preserved and rises up to 0.17m in height above inner ditch and, where highest by far on SE side, rises up to 0.83m above outer ditch. Inner and outer ditches are up to 2.8m and 3m in width respectively. On SW side, which may have been disturbed in the past by grazing animals, the distinction between central mound, inner ditch and bank is difficult to discern. Overall diameter measurements for the monument given above have been taken between the outer edges of the outer ditch—however, in addition to the outer bank evident on part of the perimeter, there is a step or berm running around much of the circumference beyond the outer ditch, which appears to be natural, but which clearly enhances the overall appearance of the earthwork; and in the NE quadrant there appears to be a gap in the outer ditch as there is no distinction between it and the surrounding ground. Monument is prominently sited on glacial hillock in pastureland between the arms of a Y-junction at Ballina where the important R390 road leading WSW from Mullingar diverges, the R390 continuing W past Uisneach (9km to W) and on to Athlone, and the R391 heading SW, as with the now-disused railway line. Hillock from which it has been shaped appears to be a kame of glacial origin, with an occasionally flooded kettle-hole lake immediately to S'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Date of upload: 23 February 2015