Barrow — mound barrow in Cumminstown

Surveyed in 2013 and described by McGuinness (2014, 39) as following: 'Enormous, steep-sided, roughly circular mound (Diam. 33.5m NW-SE) with domed top, and no visible traces of a surrounding ditch or bank. Mound is covered by trees and other vegetation, making it difficult to examine in places; as such, only a single diameter measurement could be recorded. Mound rises up to 5.8m above surrounding ground on NE side. Monument is located in a fluvioglacial landscape, with numerous kames in the area—two close set kames form a ridge just SW of the mound—and has presumably been moulded from such a glacial landform given that there is no trace of a ditch from which the material for the massive mound might have derived; the landowner did, however, inform the writer that the soil around the mound was of a different quality to elsewhere in the same field, which might indicate that topsoil was scraped from a broad area to construct the mound or, more likely, enlarge an existing landform. On NW side, mound seems to taper off gradually to the natural ground, making it difficult to identify its edge. Around circumference of mound at varying heights are narrow terraces apparently due to soil-flow and/or animal movement; certainly a few parts of the mound have been poached by animals, showing it to be composed of earth with some stones. Although this prominent monument has the proportions of a Norman motte, and looks superficially like one, it has neither bank, ditch nor bailey, and its domed upper surface is unlike the flat top more usual for a motte. Monument is located in undulating pasture. Croghan Hill (OF010-004001-) in Offaly is visible to ESE'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by David McGuinness. Date of upload: 23 February 2015