Cairn, Brandonhill, Co. Kilkenny

Co. Kilkenny |

Cairns

Cairn, Brandonhill, Co. Kilkenny

On a very steep south-west-facing slope of Brandon Hill in County Kilkenny, a low, grass-and-heather-covered mound sits quietly within the boundary of a large prehistoric enclosure.

What makes it worth a second look is the evidence of interference at its summit: two hollows, joined together, where someone at some point dug into the cairn and left the spoil scattered to the south-west. The digging has left a visible wound in what is otherwise a reasonably intact prehistoric monument.

The cairn is circular in plan, measuring roughly 8.9 metres across at its base and rising between one and one and a half metres in height, the greater elevation occurring on the downslope side where material has accumulated. It sits just inside the north-west perimeter of a large enclosure, positioned where the enclosure's straight wall climbs the hillside. A fosse, which is a rock-cut or earthen ditch typically dug to define or defend a boundary, runs along the uphill side of the cairn from north-west to south-east. It is around 4.5 to 4.8 metres wide and roughly 0.8 metres deep, carved into the slope itself. Whether the fosse was dug as part of the cairn's original construction or relates to the broader enclosure is not straightforward to determine from surface inspection alone. The whole structure is blanketed in peaty clay, which has supported a covering of grass and heather over the years, giving it the appearance of a natural feature to anyone passing without close attention.

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Pete F
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