'Very exciting' archaeological discovery made on Mayo/Galway border
Archaeological fieldwork near the border between Galway and Mayo has uncovered a burial mound dating back 3,000 years, RTÉ News is reporting.
The discovery was made on a site overlooking Killary Fjord near Leenane.
It took a number of visits and the clearing of a thick mantle of vegetation before the ancient mound was identified.
Archaeologist Michael Gibbons confirmed it is a monument type known as a "ring barrow."
He told the national broadcasters: "During fieldwork last year in the vicinity of Killary Harbour, I was asked by a landowner to look at a curious feature on land he had just bought.
"It was covered in bracken and not very clear what exactly it was. I went back again to the site numerous times which is halfway between Ashleigh Waterfall and Delphi Lodge.
"I can now confirm that it is a burial mound from the later pre-historic era dating back to between 1,600 and 3,000 years ago.
"It is a monument type known as a ring barrow, these are very rare in this part of Ireland but common on the great Royal Sites of Ireland especially at Rathcroghan and Tara.
"There are small numbers elsewhere found near Ardrahan and Oranmore in Galway and a few others overlooking Lough Mask and a handful close to Doolin in Co Clare."
The site consists of a low central burial mound with an external ditch and outer bank around 17 metres in diameter.
Mr. Gibbons said the barrows are sometimes topped with standing stones which can contain extended burials.
"Once excavated these sites normally contain cremated bone beads and on occasion bronze artefacts such as toe rings and bronze toggles.
"The monument sits in a beautiful position on a pocket of good land.
"I believe this is the oldest monument on Killary Fjord though I have also found a stone fort and standing stone overlooking it but set back some distance on one of the northern ridges of the Maumturk Mountains," Mr. Gibbons said.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, he described the discovery as a "very exciting find"
He said the discovery was made by a local farmer who had "acquired the land recently."
"He spotted this little anomaly, if you like, on an aerial photograph and he says it looks like a hollow, so I said well I'll go out and look at it," he said.
"And when I went out it was covered in bracken, and I went out subsequently just after the snow had beaten all the bracken down to see this perfect circular mound," Mr. Gibbons added.