The Curragh, Co. Kildare: over 30 unrecorded features and possible features

***Notes: 
- Unfortunately, due to the heavy picture-content of these pages, this blog might not be suited to mobile browsing. 
- Throughout this blog, GE stands for Google Earth and SMR for Site and Monument Records held by the DOENI.
- Click to enlarge all pictures in this post. Pictures are best viewed in darker conditions (details and faint features will not be visible in GE while in a sunny room for instance). Also bear in mind that the images here are copies and extractions from GE, a process which already invariably causes a loss in definition.
- Please feel free to share this blog if you know anybody who might have an interest in its contents!***


Welcome back,

To illustrate the fact that smaller archaeological features can also be discovered using Google Earth, this post will focus on the Curragh, Co. Kildare, an area well known to archaeologists for its wealth of known monuments.
Apart from the recent use of the area by the horse racing industry and the military (with fascinating traces of the WWI camp and its practice trenches visible on Google Earth), the flat open plain was never extensively farmed but was in the past the focus of much prehistoric activity. Judging by the abundance of burial monuments found across the entire area (with over 100 recorded barrows in distinct clusters), the Curragh obviously held a sacred position for local past societies.
This zone is of such archaeological importance that a current project is aimed at declaring the Curragh and the neighbouring Dun Ailinne hillfort (ancient capital of Leinster) a UNESCO site.

Fig.1: Distribution of recorded sites on the Curragh, Co. Kildare (from the National Monuments Service).

Thinking that so much was already known about the Curragh, I did not expect to find a lot of evidence for new sites when I decided to glance over the area using GE years ago. Unfortunately, the GE coverage is not of the best quality for this area and only the April 2009 layer was usable for the present research. Despite the average image definition and even though the plain has been the subject of many surveys in the past, the following features still appear unrecorded (i.e. not currently in the database as of Feb 2015):

Fig.2: Location of unrecorded sites and possible sites discussed in this post.

Notes:

* Apologies to the non-specialists, this post is aimed at cataloguing rather small potentially unrecorded features and the following shots are not going to be visually impressive. For something larger and more concrete, feel free to skip the Curragh inventory and scroll down to the last site in this post: another nice find from Co. Kildare.

* I am aware that there are many features on the Curragh that relate to past military exercises or post-medieval sporadic occupation and verification on the ground would prove beneficial in some cases. In any case, I have tried to confine this list to what I would consider as genuine ancient features. 

* On all pictures: visible recorded sites are shown with red markers while unrecorded features are numbered 'KDx' and shown with yellow markers.

KD1 - Sub-oval feature; Lat: 53° 7'56.72"N, Long: 6°48'13.92"W.

Only 13m to N of disturbed ring-barrow KD028-011: sub-oval enclosure c.14x11m (long axis oriented SE-NW).








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KD2 - Circular feature - Barrow; Lat: 53° 7'46.04"N, Long: 6°47'30.60"W.

Well-defined circular feature showing area enclosed by ditch and external bank, max. diam. c.10m.

KD3 - Circular feature - Barrow; Lat: 53° 7'51.24"N, Long: 6°47'24.16"W.

190m to NE of KD2: circular feature, max. diam. c.10m.




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KD4 - Sub-oval feature; Lat: 53° 8'5.65"N, Long: 6°48'38.65"W.

Sub-oval enclosure c.16x13m (long axis oriented SE-NW).









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Features found to the E and SE of ring-barrow KD028-074: 

KD5-KD6 - Two conjoined circular features - Barrows; Lat: 53° 8'3.15"N, Long: 6°48'45.44"W.
Two small circular features, c.4m in diameter. The southern site appears to overlap its neighbour to the north.

KD7 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53° 8'3.46"N, Long: 6°48'46.28"W.
Just 12m to NW of above pair: faint traces of circular feature c. 9m in diameter. 

KD8 - Mutilated circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53° 8'1.77"N, Long: 6°48'44.64"W.
To the N of area of extensive quarrying, sharp traces of about half of a circular feature, showing arc of ditch and external bank. The arc runs for about c.25m and if circular, the feature would have been c.16m in diameter.

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KD9-KD12 - Four circular features - Barrows?; Lat: 53° 8'6.18"N, Long: 6°49'6.98"W (KD10)

A linear arrangement of four faint sub-circular features. KD9-KD11 are all about c.6m in diameter while KD12 appears a bit larger at c.8m in diameter.

There is a further possible site between KD11 and KD12, which would 'close the gap' in the alignment, although the imagery is not clear enough to confirm it.




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KD13 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53° 8'54.02"N, Long: 6°48'26.03"W.

Within the confines of the golf course and in an unimproved area between fairways: circular feature c.6m in diameter.








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KD14 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53° 9'10.12"N, Long: 6°49'5.12"W.

About 43m to SE of recorded barrow KD023-121: small circular feature c.5m in diameter.








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In the vicinity of barrow KD023-122:

KD15 - Circular feature - Barrow; Lat: 53° 9'18.37"N, Long: 6°49'2.75"W.
Surrounded by heavily disturbed ground, sharp traces of circular ditch enclosed by bank, max. diam. c.18m in diameter.

KD16 - Sub-circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53° 9'21.40"N, Long: 6°49'9.33"W.
Faint traces of sub-circular feature, c.9m in diameter.

KD17 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53° 9'23.46"N, Long: 6°49'2.53"W.
Faint circular feature, c.9m in diameter.

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To ESE of recorded mound KD023-096:

KD18 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53° 9'24.25"N, Long: 6°50'17.92"W.
c.7m in diameter.

KD19 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53° 9'26.31"N, Long: 6°50'18.24"W
c.6m in diameter.

KD20 - Sub-circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53° 9'26.14"N, Long: 6°50'26.16"W
Sub-circular feature c.11x9m.


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KD21 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53° 9'20.00"N, Long: 6°50'43.04"W.

Circular feature with max. diameter c.11m.









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In an area with several major sites but also with a lot of ground disturbance due to more recent military activity, two of the small features show a well-defined circular plan with outer bank:

KD22 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53° 9'7.16"N, Long: 6°51'26.14"W.
Adjacent to recorded ring-barrow KD023-043: circular feature c.8m in diameter.

KD23 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53° 9'14.36"N, Long: 6°51'31.44"W.
c.7m in diameter.

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KD24 - Enclosure; Lat: 53°10'24.81"N, Long: 6°52'14.20"W.

180m to W of similar U-shaped recorded enclosure KD023-084: sub-rectangular U-shaped enclosure, possibly opened to W, c.5x4m. Could relate to military activity.

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KD25 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53°10'28.39"N, Long: 6°52'44.87"W.

About 12m to E of the large ring-barrow KD022-042: circular feature c.12m in diameter.

There are potentially faint remnants of further barrows to the N, between barrows KD022-043 and KD022-81/82.

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Immediately N of the above sites, in an area rich with other recorded barrows:

KD26 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53°10'32.23"N, Long: 6°52'50.36"W.
Faint traces c.9m in diameter.

KD27 - Circular feature - Barrow; Lat:  53°10'35.81"N, Long: 6°52'49.25"W.
c.9m in diameter.

KD28 & KD29 - Two circular features - Barrows; Lat: 53°10'34.56"N, Long: 6°53'0.90"W.
Pair of almost adjacent circular features, with diameters c.9m and c.10m.

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These two likely barrows, c.8m from each other are found c.200m E of ring-barrow KD022-047:

KD30 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53°10'18.53"N, Long: 6°52'49.22"W.
c.10m in diameter.

KD31 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53°10'18.34"N, Long: 6°52'48.01"W.
c.10m in diameter.




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KD32 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53°10'20.03"N, Long: 6°53'8.81"W.

About 100m to N of large ring-barrow KD022-046: faint circular feature c.8m in diameter.







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KD33 - Circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53°10'30.05"N, Long: 6°53'51.84"W.

Small circular feature c.5m in diameter.

There is another faint potential feature, c.7m in diameter, a few metres to SE.

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The next four unrecorded sites are not located within the confined of the Curragh itself, but are found under a km to the NE of its southeastern edge (central coord.: Lat: 53° 8'17.81"N, Long: 6°46'28.51"W; see Fig.2 at top of this post).

KD34 - Circular feature - Barrow; Td: Kineagh;
c.8m in diameter.

KD35 - Circular feature - Barrow; Td: Kineagh;
Well-defined circular feature c.10m in diameter, showing potential signs of disturbance to NW.

KD36 - Circular feature - Barrow; Td: Kineagh;
Well-defined circular feature c.11m in diameter. 

About 650m to NW of the above group of three barrows: 

KD37 - Sub-circular feature - Barrow?; Lat: 53° 8'33.30"N, Long: 6°46'52.94"W; Td: Blackrath and Athgarvan.

Well-defined sub-circular feature c.11m in diameter.

(other small circular features on this image are related to farming).

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Lastly, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I thought I would also reveal another local and unrecorded site that should definitely be visually more impressive than the faint barrows of the Curragh!

The site is located 5km to NW of the Curragh and is best seen on the April 2009 GE layer:

KD38 - Large enclosure; Lat: 53°13'1.90"N, Long: 6°55'13.39"W; Td: Conlanstown; Status: unrecorded.

The site is located c.500m to ENE of another recorded enclosure in the same townland: KD017-058.

It is defined by a large internal enclosure c.59m in diameter, set slightly off-centre of a much larger external enclosure whose plan is obstructed at NW. It appears to have been slightly egg-shaped and with maximum dimensions c.140m SE-NW and c.115m NE-SW.

Furthermore, it is possible to discern a few additional traces in the interior of both the internal and external enclosures. 

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Right, time to bring this post to a close...

I hope that this foray into Kildare will have highlighted the benefits that can be gained from using Google Earth imagery, even in areas where much surveying has already been carried out. Knowing that some archaeological features will appear better under certain conditions and through different methods, it is worth keeping in mind that Google Earth has tremendous potential and should not be ignored (especially if the quality of the imagery were to improve with time). This point will hopefully be made clear in the next few posts since I will now attempt to publish all my new data for Northern Ireland, systematically, and by County*.

* I have received a few messages from people wondering if I would consider accepting for inclusion in this blog potential new sites in Ireland that they themselves have identified using Google Earth. I would of course be more than grateful to receive anything that would add to the present corpus of data - for both the RoI and NI. It is hoped that in the long run, this blog will act as a repository for new findings made in Ireland/NI via GE in order to better reach the archaeological communities and relevant authorities. 

*** If you like this post and the contents of this blog, please show your support and make a donation to the NIDAS project using the secure button at the right. Many thanks! ***

3 fine sites from Co. Down + double bonus

***Notes:
- Unfortunately, due to the heavy picture-content of these pages, this blog might not be suited to mobile browsing. 
- Throughout this blog, GE stands for Google Earth and SMR for Site and Monument Records held by the DOENI. 
- Click to enlarge all pictures in this post. Pictures are best viewed in darker conditions (details and faint features will not be visible in GE while in a sunny room for instance). Also bear in mind that the images here are copies and extractions from GE, a process which already invariably causes a loss in definition. 
- Please feel free to share this blog if you know anybody who might have an interest in its contents!***

*****
Before starting, I thought I would give you a quick schedule of upcoming posts so that everyone can see in which direction I am going in the forthcoming days/weeks:
Next: focus on small barrows
Then: focus on raths and GE's various uses.
Then: example of a local systematic approach.
Then: a detour via the RoI (a few new sites for the Southern readers...).
Then: start of inventory/picture archive (where I won't go into as much details, rest assured!) of all new data per County, probably starting with North Down.
And so on...
*****

WARNING: LONG POST!

Welcome back!

Today, I will present a set of three important sites all located in Co. Down. These are good examples of sites that were more challenging to discover and interpret since their remains are more difficult to discern on Google Earth.  In that regard, since the pictures posted here are copies where a loss of definition is inevitable, they will not necessarily reflect the sharpness of live GE navigation where one can zoom in-and-out at will, change angles of view, etc. in order to get a better visual impression of the area. Still, I hope that the following images will enable the reader to get a decent appreciation of each site.

For the first two sites, similar in appearance and location, I will refrain from drawing too many conclusions. Indeed, having dug oval enclosures containing circular internal features of different periods (Bronze Age vs Early-Medieval) and uses (ritual/funerary vs domestic) during my employed years, these could well belong to either period although they seem to appear prehistoric at first sight. 

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DOW1

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DOW1 – Large oval enclosure + internal and external features; Lat: 54°21'58.65"N, Long: 5°33'31.18"W (J 58722 49150); Td.: Strangford Lower; Status: unrecorded.

 

Fig.1: DOW1 - wider location

The site is located on flat lowland near the far edge of a small arm of Strangford Lough and immediately outside the village of Strangford itself. Although there are four dated layers for this locality, the main site is only visible on the view from 15/6/2010.

 Fig.2: Angled view of DOW1 from SSE.

Zooming in on the site from different angles will highlight the presence of a markedly oval feature, itself containing further cropmarks. The oval enclosure measures c.80x50m and is orientated SE-NW. 

Regarding the distinguishable features within the oval enclosure, several interpretations are possible. There is at least one sub-circular feature, c.20x17m, at the southern end of the enclosure. Other traces could represent a smaller oval ft., c.15x13m, at the northern end and/or a larger circular ft., c.25m in diameter, immediately to the NW of the aforementioned southern internal ft.

Interestingly, the oldest GE layer for the area (from 16/4/2003 - not shown here), although of poor quality, reveals another circular feature, c.15m in diameter, in the SE corner of the adjacent field. The combined plan for the site is shown on Fig.3. 

It should be noted that there are other faint traces to the N of the main enclosure (of several smaller sub-oval enclosures) visible in both the 2003 and 2010 GE views but since their details are not conclusive at this stage, I will ignore these for the moment.  

Fig.3: DOW1 showing internal ft. and position of external circular ft. in adjacent field.

There are many unanswered questions regarding the size of this site due to the poor definition of the cropmarks as currently seen on GE. For this reason, this site would benefit greatly from an updated GE layer in the future, in order to confirm whether the main oval enclosure is part of much larger complex or not.

 

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DOW2

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DOW2 - Large oval enclosure + internal (and external?) features; Lat: 54° 6'4.41"N, Long: 6°12'59.31"W (J 16719 18368); Td.: Drumsesk; Status: unrecorded.

Fig.4: DOW2 - wider location.

This site is located halfway between Warrepoint and Rostrevor, on a slightly elevated terrace overlooking Carlingford Lough and the Cooley Peninsula. It is only visible on a single timed layer from December 2010:

 Fig.5: DOW2 - angled view from SW.

Even though they might appear difficult to make up in the picture above, the features are easier to discern during live GE navigation. The main feature at this site is a large oval enclosure orientated SSW-NNE, defined by a single narrow ditch and measuring c.52x37m. On this view, the area within the enclosure appears slightly darker than the surrounding field.

At least two structures are identifiable inside the large oval enclosure:

- slightly off-centre to the south: a well-defined circular ft., c.11m in diameter.
- 8m NE of the previous: a small circular ring, c.4m in diameter.

The shot being taken in winter, the surface of the field is extensively marked by farming activity and it is difficult to ascertain whether any of the other traces could indicate archaeology (see Fig.6). For instance, inside the enclosure, another small ring might exist to the SE of the identified one above. Outside the enclosure, there are a number of dark circular patches in the vegetation standing out against the clearer background of the field and it is possible that these also represent ancient remains. Most of the dark circular patches are about 11m in diameter, a size comparable to the well-defined feature inside the large oval enclosure.  

Fig.6: DOW2 - outline of the oval enclosure, also showing unidentified circular patches.

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DOW3smr

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DOW3smr - Prehistoric Cemetery; group coord.: Lat: 54°32'33.32"N, Long: 5°57'33.53"W (J 32117 67943); Td.: Ballynahatty; Status: recorded as DOW 009:050.

Fig.7: DOW3smr - wider location showing Giant's Ring henge (right off centre). 

The location of this site should not need much introduction as it is related to the famous complex of sites in Ballynahatty townland. It is located at the edge of the plateau onto which the Giant's Ring and the other known sites are situated, with the ground falling off to S, W and N towards the River Lagan.

The site is also found at the same general location as DOW 009:050, an unlocated site within the SMR (n.7 on Fig.8). The files for the area contain:
2: DOW 009:012 - Standing Stone
5: DOW 009:036 - Henge and Passage Tomb
9: DOW 009:062 - Large Ritual Enclosure
6: DOW 009:037 - Megalithic Tomb
7: DOW 009:050 - Megalithic Tomb


Fig.8: SMR inventory for the area, showing locations of the newly discovered features recorded as DOW3smr (Xs mark the spot).

For DOW 009:050, the known information is very poor and the records are essentially a vague place-holder:

'The site is said to be a chambered tomb similar to DOW 009:037 in a field adjacent to the Giant's Ring. It has not been precisely located.'

DOW 009:037 is considered a megalithic tomb and is known to have been located in the field to the NW of the Giant's Ring. The SMR summary of this unusual site reads: 

'A "subterraneous chamber" discovered in 1855 NW of the Giant's Ring DOW 009:036. It was circular, 7ft in diam., with a floor & roof of flagstones. The interior was divided into a central area with 6 "cist like enclosures" around the sides. These contained human & animal bones, some burnt, some not and cinerary urns. The entrance, at E, was 2ft wide & closed with loose flags. Two intact human skulls were amoung the bones found, both of female adults. The precise location of the chamber is not now known.'

The historic evidence contained within the SMR also states that 'the fields adjoining the Giant's Ring on the N.W. have at various times yielded many traces of prehistoric burials' (Preliminary Survey of the Ancient Monuments of Northern Ireland - PSAMNI 1940, 86-7).

Indeed, apart from the renowned chambered tomb described above, PSAMNI also summarises (original data from Ulster Journal of Archaeology vol. III, 1st series, 1855, 358-365) the other known remains in the vicinity as :

'- another circular chamber (now referred to as DOW 009:050). 

- a 'tripod-dolmen', with no capstone, buried in a small mound.

- a cairn with multiple-cist burials.

- several short cists, two of which yielded perforated hammer stones.

- a standing stone (now referred to as DOW 009:012). 

Hardly any of these traces remain.'

 

The good news is that, with a big slice of luck, some features are clearly visible on GE imagery, in the field where DOW 009:050 is thought to have been located. I say 'luck' because this area south of Belfast is featured on no less than nine different GE timed layers ranging from 2001 to 2010 but the complex is visible only once, during what must have been particularly dry conditions in August 2006.  This is the view:

Fig.9: DOW3smr - Close up on the prehistoric complex.

Whether these traces represent any of the aforementioned antiquities which are known to have existed in the fields NW of the Giant's Ring remains to be seen. The sharply-defined circular site at the north of the picture though (also shown by a * on Fig.10), is located near the position where the recorded DOW 009:050 is thought to have been.

On this clear view, it is visible as a sub-circular feature, c.24m in diameter, crucially showing clear evidence of what must have been a short chamber set against its slightly flattened western perimeter. 'Chamber' rather than 'cist' since its external dimensions are about c.5x6m. Since the known circular chamber DOW 009:037 in the adjacent field was only about 7ft in diameter, it is difficult to compare the two as the records suggest. Instead, this appears to be the remains of a large cairn that contained a simple megalithic structure presumably opened to the W.

There are other features visible across the ridge of this field indicating that the whole plateau was indeed heavily used during earlier prehistory, as reported in the mid-19th century. Other than the site described above, we can also denote here (Fig.10):

- a. sub-circular feature c.23m in diameter.

- b. truncated large sub-circular or sub-oval feature, >25m in size.

- c. sub-oval feature c.13x12m.

- d. circular feature c.14m in diameter.

- ?. potential other features or areas of interest.

Fig.10: DOW3smr - identified features and other areas of interest. 

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Right, the plan was to send these three Co. Down sites for now but, as the post's title says: 'double bonus', so...

Two more sites? A double site? Well, both: two more sites, including a double.

These sit in an area I had noticed before but I always thought that the visible traces represented either some sort of natural ridge or even an already recorded enclosure or rath. It was when I compiled information about DOW1 above that my eyes caught this neighbouring site once again. After a closer look at the scale of the traces, I quickly had to check the SMR and...

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DOW4-5

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Fig.11: DOW4 & DOW5 - wider location

These two sites are located between 600-800m to the north of the oval enclosure DOW1 previously discussed and at a height of a little over 10m above the shore of Strangford Lough. Recent excavations only about 200m SE of the sites revealed evidence of a fulacht fiadh and a likely Bronze Age round house (see SMR DOW 031:073 and location on Fig.11). 

Now, for a close-up:

 Fig.12: DOW4 and DOW5 - close up view from GE's 2003 layer.

DOW4 - Two large embanked enclosures (conjoined?); Lat: 54°22'19.02"N, Long: 5°33'42.16"W (J 58502 49773); Td: Strangford Lower; Status: unrecorded.

The site is comprised of two very large, embanked, circular enclosures set against each other. Intriguingly, the details appear to show that, while they are joined at the west (top on Fig.12), there could be a deliberate opening into the complex from the east where the traces of both banks end abruptly after turning back towards the interior (unless these breaks are a result of higher degradation of the banks in this area of course). 

The two enclosures are each at least c.120x100m externally, with the length across the entire site being at least 200m. The width of the banks is also impressive. For the southern enclosure, the bank is at least c.20m wide and for the northern enclosure, it is well over 30m wide in places (with what looks like a section of ditch almost as wide!). Traces on the ground must be imperceptible or I fail to see how this enclosure could not have been noticed prior.

In view of its size and design, I find it hard to place the monument in the historic period but maybe there are parallels that I am not aware of. If it is older (taking into consideration nearby Bronze Age activity), is this a potentially unique double-henge monument? Two conjoined henges?

Fig.13: DOW4 - possible interpretation.

DOW5 - Embanked enclosure (large ring barrow?); Lat: 54°22'24.43"N, Long: 5°33'41.73"W (J 58504 49941); Td: Strangford Lower; Status: unrecorded.

Somewhat overshadowed by the potentially huge enclosure DOW4 immediately to the south, the traces presently identified as DOW5 are perhaps no less important. Already on the older GE view from 2003 (see Figs 12-13), the faint trace of a smaller circular ft. surrounded by a bank and wide ditch can be spotted. 

On a different shot from 2010 (Fig.14), while the details are also blurry, they appear to define a inner circular area, c.15m in diameter, surrounded by a concentric arrangement of narrow bank > wide ditch > likely wide outer bank. It may appear small next DOW4 but the whole feature could measure over c.60m in diameter. 

The location and size of the potential internal space do not seem to correspond to a ringfort and a prehistoric origin seems more likely for this site.

Fig.14: Alternate view of DOW4 & DOW5.

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After dealing with a number of very large sites, the focus of the next post will be on the other end of the scale: small features and more specifically small barrows and barrow groups...

Thank you for reading once again!


*** If you like this post and the contents of this blog, please show your support and make a donation to the NIDAS project using the secure button at the right. Many thanks! ***