Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

On a very undulating rocky shelf of rough pasture in a karst landscape, just above the shoreline, with excellent views S-N including the Aran Islands to W and Galway Bay to N. Identified during an Archaeological Impact Assessment for the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark (Lynch and Lynch 2016). It consists of an oval area (20m E-W; 16m N-S) defined by the intermittent remains of a collapsed wall (int. H 0.6m; ext. H 0.9m; T 0.8m). Some of the enclosing elements are defined by large limestone rocks, however most are medium to small rocks which are both angular and rounded. A possible entrance gap (Wth 2.5m) is located at S. The interior is dish-shaped and has a very slight NW-facing slope. A large limestone rock with a pitted surface is situated off-centre to E and may have rolled down to this location from the enclosing wall, which is highest around the eastern arc. Otherwise the interior is covered by intermittent earthfast rocks and small hazel bushes. A substantial flat rock is located just outside the wall at W and other similar rocks are slightly further out at WNW, NNW and N. A midden (CL001-021----) dating to the Later Mesolithic lies c. 120m to NW and another (CL001-022----) is c. 320m to the NNE.

The following images have been uploaded:

CL001-022----_01.jpg From E. Close up view of monument.
CL001-022----_02.jpg From E. Oblique cross-section view of wall at NE.
CL001-022----_03.jpg From ESE. Interior elevation of wall at WNW.
CL001-022----_04.jpg From S. General view of monument.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney, Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly

Date of upload: 8 January 2019

References

Lynch, E. and Lynch, M. 2016 Archaeological Impact Assessment for the Geopark Walking Trail at Fanore, Co. Clare. Unpublished report submitted to the National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Dublin.