Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IR0709 Curraghadobbin, Tipperary (Curraghadobbin Hill)

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database TS079-024001 (None)

NMR:  TS 079 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  None

X:  636872  Y:  628616  (IRENET95)

Summary

Multiple enclosure surrounding the summit and western facing slopes of Curraghadobbin Hill, at centre of E - W running escarpment. Likely to be bivallate for its entire length, although this cannot be confirmed due to destruction of the outer enclosing elements by modern forestry plantation. The hillfort has a total site foot print of approximately 4.1ha. There are no recorded entrance features. An oval cairn is positioned at the center of the hillfort interior. The inner enclosing elements have been heavily damaged by forestry clearance and its subsequent re-setting. The outer enclosing elements have been incorporated into later field boundaries or been destroyed. Earliest detection by Irish Army Air Corps and subsequent detection by GSI in 1973.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -830230  Y:  6874203  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -7.458080880389431  Latitude:  52.40781669404476  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Republic of Ireland; None

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Tipperary

Historic County:  Tipperary

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Curraghadobbin

Monument Condition

Inner enclosure partially extant. S section of outer enclosure destroyed.

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

Forestry on hillfort has recently been harvester and replanted.

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 surrounding the summit and western facing slopes of Curraghadobbin Hill, at center of E - W running escarpment. Hillfort overlooks Brittas River to E, which has created a natural break in escarpment.

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:  Curraghadobbin Hill.

Aspect:
North   ✗
Northeast   ✗
East   ✗
Southeast   ✗
South   ✗
Southwest   ✗
West   ✓
Northwest   ✗
Level   ✗

Altitude:  237.0m

Boundary

N perimeter of enclosing elements forms the boutdary between Curraghadobbin and Garryduffy townlands.

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

Earliest detection by Irish Army Air Corps and subsequent detection by GSI in 1973. Hilltop covered in forestry during Ordnance Survey mapping surveys.

Investigations:
Other (1973):   GIS aerial photography (S. 501/500)
1st Identified Map Depiction (None):   Irish Army Air Corps photographs (V. 312/3077-6)

Interior Features

Oval cairn 19m by 23m and 1.4m in maximum height. Depression at center. Monument has been disturbed by forestry.

Water Source

None

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

Cairn.

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

No obvious entrance features recorded.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
0:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

Inner enclosing element comprises a circular bank of sandstone boulders 3.6m wide and 1m in maximum height. Outer enclosing element incorporated into field boundary to N and is visible in Irish Army Air Corp and GSI aerial photographs. It is not apparent on the ground.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.84ha.
Area 2:   3.87ha.
Total:   3.87ha.

Total Footprint Area:  4.06ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

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:
✗   No recorded ditch feature.

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None.

References

No related records



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


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