Enclosure, Lurraga, Co. Clare

Co. Clare |

Enclosures

Enclosure, Lurraga, Co. Clare

In a field somewhere in County Clare, half-swallowed by scrub and pastureland, something circular is quietly waiting to be understood.

Aerial imagery has revealed the outline of what may be an ancient enclosure near Lurraga, roughly circular in plan and approximately 37 metres across at its widest point. On the ground it would be easy to miss entirely; from above, the shape becomes legible, a faint ring pressed into the landscape.

Circular enclosures of this kind are among the most common archaeological features in the Irish countryside. They range from ringforts, which were enclosed farmsteads typically dating from the early medieval period, to earlier prehistoric enclosures whose functions are less well understood. Without excavation or further survey, the Lurraga example cannot be confidently assigned to any particular type or period. What is known is that it was noticed and reported to the National Monuments Service by Conn Herriott, and that its outline remains visible on aerial photography taken between 2011 and 2018, suggesting the underlying earthwork has enough physical presence to register even under years of overgrowth.

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Pete F
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