Cnoc Raithní, Bronze Age burial mound in Inisheer, County Galway, Ireland.
Cnoc Raithní is a circular sandy mound on the northern edge of Inisheer, held in place by a drystone revetment wall. About 27 slab-lined graves protrude above its southern half, while the northern half carries a kerbed platform with two limestone pillars.
The lower section of the mound dates to 2000-1500 BC, while the upper layers hold artifacts from the Early Christian period between the 5th and 8th centuries. This layering shows how a single burial place served multiple generations of the community.
Cnoc Raithní means "hill of bracken" in Irish, not rowan. The name refers to the plant cover of the hill above Inisheer harbour. Excavations in 1885 by D. Murphy found cordoned cinerary urns holding cremated bones, plus a bronze awl, showing cremation burial here in the Bronze Age.
The site is maintained by the national heritage authority and remains open to visitors who can view the stone chambers and limestone pillars. Walking around the mound gives good views of its structure, though visitors should stay outside the marked areas to protect the site.
When a storm exposed the mound in 1885, D. Murphy excavated it and found cordoned cinerary urns holding cremated bones, plus a bronze awl. The lower tier is dated to c. 2000–1500 BC, the earliest known settlement site on Inisheer; the upper part is thought to be Early Christian, 5th to 8th centuries AD.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,761 contributors worldwide.