The Lake Dwellings of Ireland: Or ancient lacustrine habitations of Erin, commonly called crannogs.Wood-Martin, W. G. (William Gregory)
History
The Lake Dwellings of Ireland: Or ancient lacustrine habitations of Erin, commonly called crannogs.
Wood-Martin, W. G. (William Gregory)
Lake-dwellers and lake-dwellings -- Ireland
_Clogherny_, in the parish of this name, in the barony of East Omagh.
The Rev. R. V. Dixon, D.D., thus notices the discovery of a crannog
situated in a bog on the borders of the townland of Roscavey. About
eight or ten feet below the surface turf-cutters laid bare the tops
of a row of oaken planks which described a circle about seventy feet
in diameter. These planks were from eight inches to fourteen inches
in width, and from three inches to five inches in thickness, roughly
split from the log, the lower extremities pointed and driven ten or
twelve inches into the ground; their tops were all decayed; the length
of the remaining part was about four feet. Each plank was pierced by
a square hole, bearing marks of having been made by a blunt tool, and
this orifice was narrower at the centre than at the edges. The planks
forming the enclosure were placed edge to edge, and several rough logs
of alder and birch, from two inches to four inches in diameter, were
laid horizontally against the lower part of the planks on the inside
of the enclosure, which was floored with oak, and underneath was
about two feet of peat. Between the oaken floor and the outer fence
were several flag-stones, evidently the old hearths, as shown by the
quantity of charred wood that was about them. Southward two square
posts were found. This crannog lay in a depression running nearly E.
and W. between two sloping hills. “The fall of this hollow is towards
the east, where it spreads out and sinks into a large basin, or glen,
closed by rising ground of considerable height to the north and east;
by a gravel ridge, or ‘esker,’ on the south; and opening on the west
into the hollow in which the crannog stood. A considerable mountain
stream enters this basin from the east, and after flowing round a
conical gravel hill (connected with the esker) which stands in the
middle of it, escapes through a deep natural cut or gap in the esker
which, as before mentioned, closes the basin on the south. If this cut
were closed, the basin would be filled up by the stream which now flows
through it, and the level of the water would probably rise sufficiently
high to fill the hollow in which the crannog stood, and this hollow
would then form a shallow arm of the lake.”[200]
_Galbally._--_Ante_, p. 60, plate VII.
_Roughan._--_Ante_, p. 88.
COUNTY DONEGAL.
_Crannog-boy_, parish of Inishkeel, barony of Banagh.--_Ante_, p. 28.
_Mongavlin_, parish of Taughboyne, barony of Raphoe.--_Ante_, p. 151.
_Lough Veagh._--_Ante_, p. 154.
_Drumkelin_, or _Drumkeelin_, parish of Inver, barony of Banagh.--The
account of the crannog-hut here exhumed is given, _ante_, pp. 39-41.
COUNTY DERRY.
_Inishrush._--_Ante_, p. 152.
_Loughshillen._--_Ante_, pp. 148-9.
_Loughan Island._--_Ante_, pp. 153 and 155.--Six stone celts, two
bronze celts, three fibulæ, a bridle-bit, two bronze cheek-pieces
(_ante_, pp. 136-7), an iron spear-head and spike,[201] were found
here, and are now in the Museum, R.I.A.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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