Promontory fort - inland

The National Monuments Service's description

On a high limestone SW-facing headland with an equally high cliff 25m to the E, with excellent views from S to NW and within an extensive field system (CL004-027001-). Described by Westropp (1905, 207; 1905, 345) as ‘the great inland promontory fort of Doonaunmore’ with ‘its strange "farbreag" or detached pinnacle near the southern end’ and named ‘Dúnán Mór promontory fort’ on Robinson’s (1977) map. A subrectangular area (176m NE-SW; c. 90m NW-SE), defined across the neck of the headland at NE by a double-faced wall that curves outwards and is most substantial towards the middle (max. Wth 5.4m; H 2.4-2.7m). In general, the facing survives best externally. The N end of this wall is less substantial (Wth 0.8m; int. H 0.8-1.7m; ext. H 1.4-2m). A stone spread (Wth 2.5-4m; H 0.8-1m) defines the SE side of the promontory and at SW and W there are natural cliff edges. Westropp (1905, 346) noted an internal terrace (Wth 0.91m; H 1.5m) and one, if not two, vertical joints on the exterior. The interior rises in a stepped fashion and is c. 10-14m above the outer ground level. A hut site (CL004-051002-) abuts the inside of the NE wall. Several other huts are illustrated along this wall by Westropp (1905, 349) but were no longer clearly visible on inspection in 1998 and are not visible on Digital Globe. A slab wall extends north from the promontory and then turns NW, where c. 150m away it meets a small field system of potential antiquity. A later field wall extends from the promontory fort at NW.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Lynda McCormack

Date of upload: 13 June 2022

References

Westropp, T. J. 1905 Prehistoric remains (Forts and Dolmens) along the borders of Burren, in the county of Clare. Part 2 - west Corcomroe. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. 35, 342-61.

Robinson, T. 1977 (revised 1999) The Burren: a two-inch map of the uplands of north-west Clare. Map scale 1:31680. Roundstone: Folding Landscapes.

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.