Settlement platform, Rochfort Demesne, Co. Westmeath

Co. Westmeath |

Settlement Sites

Settlement platform, Rochfort Demesne, Co. Westmeath

What looks at first glance like a low, unremarkable shelf of stone on the marshy southern shore of Lough Ennell is, on closer reading, something considerably stranger.

The ground beneath your feet here was once a lakebed, and this small limestone platform, measuring roughly five metres by six and rising only half a metre above the waterlogged soil, would originally have sat in about a metre of water, some five metres out from the ancient shoreline. Large irregular limestone slabs, some over a metre in length, are scattered across its surface with an evenness that suggests human intention rather than simple geology.

The platform was identified by Karkov and Ruffing in the early 1990s as part of a cluster of similar features along the eastern shoreline of Rochfort Bay, and later examined in detail by Aidan O'Sullivan. Its shape is almost rectilinear, and it sits on what was formerly the lakebed to the south of a related feature known as Rochfort Demesne 3. The broader significance of the site lies in its proximity to other early medieval monuments in the area. A crannóg, which is an artificial or partially artificial island dwelling used throughout prehistoric and early medieval Ireland, sits on Goose Island roughly 420 metres to the north. A mound at Rochfort Demesne lies about 550 metres to the east. O'Sullivan has suggested that this platform may be prehistoric or medieval in date and could have been associated with the crannóg community at Goose Islands, perhaps serving as a landing place, a fish trap support, or some form of lakeshore working area, though its precise function remains unresolved. The question of whether people built on it, moored beside it, or simply used it as a convenient hard surface amid shallow water has not been answered.

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 Settlement platform, Rochfort Demesne, Co. Westmeath. 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