Interesting History
269 Words
The souterrain and cave known as Oweynagat, the legendary entrance to the underworld, could be similarly late.
On the assumption that the Cruachain of pagan Celtic tradition is, indeed, located near Tulsk, we may assume within the complex of surviving monuments are those, which date to the Early Iron Age.
The small and unspectacular ringbarrows may well belong to this period, but without excavation caution is necessary in ascribing earthworks of these type to any specific period. The only modern excavations to have been conducted at Cruachain were undertaken by the archaeologist John Waddell at Dáithí's mound in 1981. Though these were generally inconclusive about the nature of the mound, two charcoal samples obtained from under and low in the ring barrow bank gave a calibrated date range between 350 BC and 230 AD, in keeping with the presumed Iron Age context for such monuments at Cruachain.
Knockaulin, Co Kildare
Several interim reports on excavations at Knockaulin, Co Kildare have been done. Knockaulin is a rounded hill, rising to 180m above sea level, southwest of Kilcullen, Co Kildare. Its summit is crowned by a great earthwork: an oval area of some 13 hectares is enclosed by a substantial rampart with internal ditch.
The monument has been identified since the 19th century as Dún Ailinne of early Irish literature, the seat of the Kings of Leinster.
The only features in the enclosure were a small earthwork noted by John O'Donovan, a low mound on the summit of the hill(approximately circular with a diameterof approximately 20m and a height of some 80 com) and a well known as St John's well.
- Writer
