Hillfort

The National Monuments Service's description

In a commanding location on a high ridge sloping gently to N between Oughtmama and the Gortaclare valley in an area of bare limestone pavement and patchy grazing. The settlement cluster on Turlough Hill lies somewhat higher and c. 600m to SW along the same ridge. A very large and unusual hexagonal enclosure (int. dims. c. 190m N-S; c. 190m E-W) defined by a drystone wall (average Wth 2-2.3m; int. H 0.3m at E to 0.4m at W to 1.1m at N) composed of a mixture of thin flags laid in courses and thin flags set on edge as inner and outer facing with an angular pebble core. The wall is broken by 13 gaps (Wths c. 1.4-1.8m) often defined at the sides by transverse slabs. The gaps occur intermittently and irregularly on all sides. A narrow ravine at E (L 30m; Wth 5m) slopes upwards towards the interior and affords a kind of entranceway into the enclosure. The interior is slightly higher near the centre meaning that as you walk around the perimeter the full site is often not visible. Westropp provided a plan (1905, 226) showing a number of hut sites, mostly along the inner face of the enclosing wall (see CL003-036002- to CL003-036007-). He also noted that the interior was of bare, often loose crag with no traces of foundations (ibid.). Bergh (2015, 32) noted another diminutive circular house foundation close to the inner end of the E depression (CL003-036008-). The enclosure is undated as yet but may be related to either Neolithic causewayed enclosures or Late Bronze Age hillforts (Bergh, Ó Maoldúin and McCarthy 2016, 21).

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 3 March 2020

References

Bergh, S., Ó Maoldúin, R. and McCarthy, N. 2016 The archaeology of Turlough Hill. In The Irish Quaternary Association Field Guide No. 33, 18-25

Bergh, S. 2015 Where worlds meet. Two Irish prehistoric mountain-top villages. Il Capitale Culturale: studies on the value of cultural heritage 12, 21-44.

Westropp, T. J. 1905 Prehistoric remains (Forts and Dolmens) along the borders of Burren, in the county of Clare. Part 1 – The Eastern Border. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. 35, 205-29.