House - indeterminate date, Townplots, Co. Mayo

Co. Mayo |

House

House – indeterminate date, Townplots, Co. Mayo

Tucked against the inner wall of an ancient enclosure in Townplots, County Mayo, a low curve of stones outlines what may once have been a dwelling.

It is easy to miss, rising only thirty to forty centimetres above the ground, yet its proportions and placement speak to a deliberate, domestic intention that has quietly survived the centuries.

The structure sits in the south-eastern quadrant of a rath, the kind of circular earthwork enclosure built throughout early medieval Ireland, typically to define and protect a farmstead and its occupants. Rather than standing independently within that space, this possible house was built right up against the rath's inner bank, using the existing earthwork as one of its walls. The remaining boundary is formed by a stony bank roughly 1.2 metres wide, curving around to enclose a sub-rectangular area of approximately eight metres north to south and five metres east to west. A gap two metres wide at the northern end is interpreted as an entrance. The overall shape and scale are consistent with a small domestic building, though the date remains undetermined.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of House – indeterminate date, Townplots, Co. Mayo. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement