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The Doonan Mound is a modest earthwork located near Armagh in Northern Ireland, situated on bedrock of the Leadhills Supergroup. This geological formation, composed of wacke deposited during the Ashgill period of the late Ordovician, provides a firm foundation for the mound's construction. The monument sits at grid reference H8073038940 and is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 5569, reflecting its recognised archaeological significance.
The mound's origins remain uncertain, typical of many similar earthworks in the region whose construction dates and original purposes have become obscured by time. Such monuments may represent burial mounds, settlement platforms or ritual sites, though without excavation evidence for this specific location, its precise function cannot be determined. The surrounding landscape of Armagh has long been notable for its concentration of early medieval ecclesiastical and secular monuments.
The Doonan Mound contributes to our understanding of the archaeological landscape of central Ulster. Its preservation allows future generations of researchers to investigate questions about prehistoric and early medieval settlement patterns and land use in the area. As with many unexcavated mounds, it retains the potential to yield significant archaeological evidence.
The doonan. mound is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 5569. View the official record →
The Doonan Mound is a modest earthwork located near Armagh in Northern Ireland, situated on bedrock of the Leadhills Supergroup. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 5569.
The doonan. mound dates from the uncertain period, and is classified as a mound. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
The doonan. mound is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 5569.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Megalithic tomb (1.9 km), Rath (2 km), Doogary lough. possible crannog in doogary lough (2.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of The doonan. mound's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
The doonan. mound stands on Leadhills Supergroup, bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is wacke.