Northwest Co. Cavan Survey. An Archaeological Survey of Northwest Cavan: the Other Burren

The landscape of northwest Cavan is rich in archaeological remains and sites of geological interest. The upland topography of the area links it closely, in geographic and social terms, to parts of the neighbouring counties of Fermanagh and Leitrim rather than with the remainder of Cavan. The wealth of the archaeological heritage in the area prompted Killinagh Community Council to initiate a one-year archaeological survey, funded by the Programme for Peace and Reconciliation that was undertaken by the author on behalf of Archaeological Development Services Limited. The study area was loosely centred on the townland of Burren, to the south of Blacklion village; it extended to the Fermanagh border in the east and north and to the Leitrim border in the west. Though relatively small in size, the study area included a diverse landscape of poorly drained mountain and bog, good lakeside and hill pasture, exposed limestone pavement and extensive areas of mature coniferous forest. Over 60% of the land in the study area, approximately 8,500 acres, was walked on a field-by-field basis. This intensive field walking resulted in the discovery of 48 previously unrecorded archaeological sites. The 'new' sites included megalithic tombs, standing stones, a stone row, a fulacht fiadh (a type of site previously unknown in the area) and a variety of house sites, hut sites and enclosures. These, together with the many previously known tombs and other sites in the region are testament to human presence in the rugged landscape of northwest Cavan for millennia.