177 



land Survey of Tipperary, and Sheet 135 of the One-inch Ordnance Map 

 of Ireland. 



This lake lies in a large bog basin (see Geological Map of Ireland, 

 Sheet 135 and Map Fig. No. 1), and was formerly much larger; but 

 previous to the year 1812, its outlet to the ~N".-W. was lowered, and the 

 land about it reclaimed. In winter its limits extend much farther than 

 during the dry season, as the ground about it is low. 



The appearance of the Crannoge has been much changed since the 

 lake was lowered, as on its south shore a quay was built on which to 

 land turf cut in the peat bog on the south, and many of the piles that 

 surrounded the Crannoge have been removed, and its circular shape 

 changed. Our attention was first directed to it by the following notice in 

 Wakefield's " Ireland," which was published in 1812: — " In the highest 

 part of this reclaimed land, which is about the middle of the old lake, 

 there is seen a circular part, in shape the top of an immense tub, about 

 sixty feet in diameter. The large planks which form the staves are from 

 one to two feet broad, and about six inches thick, quite straight as far 

 as it has yet been possible to trace them downwards. None of them 

 have yet been raised without cutting them. At present there is no 

 appearance of either ax or saw having been used in the formation of 

 them." 



"When the island was visited in March and August, 1864, it was 

 found to have shallow water all round it, except at the south, where 

 the previously mentioned quay was built ; on the east there is a track 

 into the mainland (0 on Map Fig. 1), that may also be of modem 

 construction ; at all events, it was used at the same time as the quay, 

 and has been repaired from season to season, by laying branches and 

 trunks of trees across it, and covering them with gravel. At the junc- 

 tion of this track with the quay at the S.-E. of the island, one of the old 

 oak sheeting piles was remarked, the section of it being 4x12 inches. 

 On the north of the island more of these piles were noted, forming part 

 of a circle; and from them, running S. and S.-E., are two rows of round 

 perpendicular ash piles, 2-5 inches in diameter, that appear to have been 

 parts of two partitions or walls that divided up the space inside the 

 circle of sheet piles into rooms or habitations. On the ~N.-W. of the 

 island, aboat three yards from the present shore, are also some of the 

 circle of sheet piles, and between them and the land are, E. and W., 

 beams about four feet apart, and about four feet lower than the surface 

 of the island. There are also above these, and close to the edge of the 

 island, irregularly laid logs of oak, on an average about five inches in 

 diameter, mingled with large stones. On the S.-W. of the island there 

 is a set of oak sheet piles bounding the end of the quay ; these seem to 

 have been recently put here, and may have been some of those men- 

 tioned in the extract before quoted, "that were raised" when the quay 

 was built, and were redriven here to protect the pier. There are also 

 a few other piles, but they are evidently modern, being round fir sticks, 

 which appear to have been used to fasten the boats to. 



