Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IR0694 Ballycurragh, Offaly (Glebe)

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database OF039-037 (None)

NMR:  OF 039 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  None

X:  614177  Y:  697994  (IRENET95)

Summary

Circular multiple enclosure positioned in upland terrain on gently sloping W facing hillslope, overlooking Fuarawn River to W and S. The site has a total footprint of approximately 4.9ha. Bivallate for the entire circuit with widely spaced enclosing elements. No evidence for any entrance features. No evidence for any internal features on the surface. SW section of inner and outer enclosing elements destroyed. The outer bank is quarried at S. Light tree cover over enclosing elements. First depicted in first edition Ordnance Survey mapping as a circular setting of field boundaries. More detailed earthwork survey in second edition Ordnance Survey maps. Recorded by O'Brien and Sweetman (1997) for the archaeological inventory of Co. Offaly.

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -867027  Y:  6988999  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -7.788638919577152  Latitude:  53.03243181314101  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Republic of Ireland; None

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Offaly

Historic County:  Offaly

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Ballycurragh

Monument Condition

None

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

Light tree cover over enclosing elements.

Current Use:
Woodland  
Commercial Forestry Plantation  
Parkland  
Pasture (Grazing)  
Arable  
Scrub/Bracken  
Bare Outcrop  
Heather/Moorland  
Heath  
Built-up  
Coastal Grassland  
Other  

Landscape

Hillfort Type

Multiple enclosure positioned in upland terrain on gently sloping W facing hillslope, overlooking Fuarawn River to W and S. Excellent views to N, S and W.

Type:
Contour Fort  
Partial Contour Fort  
Promontory Fort  
Hillslope Fort  
Level Terrain Fort  
Marsh Fort  
Multiple Enclosure Fort  

Topographic Position

Position:
Hilltop  
Coastal Promontory  
Inland Promontory  
Valley Bottom  
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop  
Ridge  
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp  
Hillslope  
Lowland  
Spur  

Dominant Topographic Feature:  Hillslope.

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  143.0m

Boundary

Positioned within the townland of Glebe. The outer enclosing elements comprise the townland boundary of Glebe and Ballycurragh.

Boundary Type:  Parish/Townland


Dating Evidence

No dating evidence.

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC  
1200BC - 800BC  
800BC - 400BC  
400BC - AD50  
AD50 - AD400  
AD400 - AD 800  
Post AD800  
Unknown  

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   None
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

First depicted in first edition Ordnance Survey mapping as a circular setting of field boundaries. More detailed earthwork survey in second edition Ordnance Survey maps. Recorded by O'Brien and Sweetman (1997) for the archaeological inventory of Co. Offaly.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1842):   First edition Ordnance Survey 6 inch mapping.
Earthwork Survey (1906):   Second edition 25 inch Ordnance Survey mapping.
Other (1997):   Site survey

Interior Features

No evidence for any internal features on the surface.

Water Source

None

Source:
None  
Spring  
Stream  
Pool  
Flush  
Well  
Other  

Surface

None

Interior Features (Surface):
No Known Features  
Round Stone Structures  
Rectangular Stone Structures  
Curvilinear Platforms  
Other Roundhouse Evidence  
Pits  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  

Excavation

None

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Geophysics

None

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics  
Pits  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Finds

None

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds  
Pottery  
Metal  
Metalworking  
Human Bones  
Animal Bones  
Lithics  
Environmental  
Other  

Aerial

NO APPARENT FEATURES

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked  
None  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roads/Tracks  
Other  

Entrances

The outer bank is quarried at S and modern road destroys SW portion of site. No evidence for possible original entrances.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
2:   Modern.

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

Circular area defined by two widely spaced concentric enclosing elements, separated by approximately 60m. The inner enclosing elements comprise an earthen bank up to 3.5m in external height and a possible inner ditch. Outer bank is, on average, 4m wide and up to 4m in external height. There is no evidence for an internal ditch. SW portion of inner and outer enclosing elements destroyed (O'Brien and Sweetman, 1997).

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   1.2ha.
Area 2:   0.44ha.
Total:   1.2ha.

Total Footprint Area:  4.91ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   Inner enclosing element has possible inner ditch.

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   2
SE Quadrant:   2
SW Quadrant:   2
NW Quadrant:   2
Total:   2

Morphology

Current Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  
Unknown  

Detailed Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  

Surface Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Surface):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Rubble  
Wall-walk  
Evidence of Timber  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
Other  

Excavated Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Excavation):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Murus Duplex  
Timber-framed  
Timber-laced  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
No Known Excavation  
Other  

Other

Gang Working:
✗   None

Ditches:
✓   Inner enclosing element has possible inner ditch.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None.

References

O'Brien, C. and Sweetman, D. 1997. Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly. Department of the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin.



Terms of Use

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and should be cited as:

Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk


Document Version 1.1