Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IR0935 Magherintemple, Cavan

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database CV016-099001 (None)

NMR:  CV 016 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  None

X:  650990  Y:  816468  (IRENET95)

Summary

Oval contour fort surrounding with a total site foot print of approximately 3.1ha positioned on a hilltop in undulating terrain and overlooking a number of small river systems to the S and the Bunnoe River to the E and NE. Univallate for the entire circuit with traces of an external counter-scarp bank. There are no obvious entrance features. Later graveyard and church within hillfort interior (Davis 1948, 95). No evidence for any internal features on the surface that may be contemporary with the hillfort.A portion of the rampart susvives at the SW, however, the majority of its circuit has been ploughed out. First map depiction in first edition Ordnance Survey mapping. Site visit by Davis (1948, 95).

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -803783  Y:  7188126  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -7.220507188562953  Latitude:  54.09477301276526  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Republic of Ireland

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Cavan

Historic County:  Cavan

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Magherintemple

Monument Condition

Apparent in first edition Ordnance Survey maps but has since been levelled

Condition:
Extant   ✗
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

None

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

Contour fort surrounding the domed summit of hilltop in undulating terrain, overlooking a number of small river systems to the S and the Bunnoe River to the E and NE. Panoramic views from the summit.

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:  Hilltop.

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

Altitude:  126.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

None.

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:   Graveyard and church within hillfort interior (Davis 1948, 95).

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

First map depiction in first edition Ordnance Survey mapping. Site visit by Davis (1948, 95).

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1842):   First edition 6 inch Ordnance Survey mapping.
Other (1948):   Site visit by Davis.
Other (1995):   O'Donovan 1995

Interior Features

Later graveyard and church within hillfort interior (Davis 1948, 95).

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

There are no obvious entrance features. No breaks were recorded in the historic mapping.

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

Enclosing elements have been levelled from N to E and from S to SW but are still visible on the ground and in aerial photography (O'Donoval 1995). A portion of the enclosing elements survive in the SW and comprise a bank and external ditch with a small external counter-scarp.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   2.79ha.
Total:   2.79ha.

Total Footprint Area:  3.06ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   1
NW Quadrant:   1
Total:   1

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:
✓   External ditch.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None.

References

O'Donovan, P. 1995. Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan. The Stationary Office, 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


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