Promontory fort - coastal

The National Monuments Service's description

An island (c. 200m E-W; 110m N-S) known as 'Bishop's Island' lies about 200m off the shore W of Kilkee in an area of flat grazing and bog. A defended headland, 'Doonaunroe' (CL055-003----, Clare 12), is visible c. 400m to the SW. The cliffs opposite are c. 30m high. Remains of the collapsed isthmus are visible both on the island and on the mainland. The island is inaccessible at present but the remains of two stone buildings, one rectangular (CL055-004001-) and the other round (CL055-004002-), and a standing stone (CL055-004004-) are clearly visible from the mainland on the eastern half of the island. A straight fosse is visible from the air extending for a distance of 50m across the SE portion of the island suggesting that it may have been defended. The standing-stone is located in this fosse. The remains of the buildings and the name of the island suggested to Westropp (1908, 40-1) that this was the site of a monastic settlement. (Casey 1999, 215, Clare P5)

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 21 September 2016

References

Casey, M. 1999 The coastal promontory forts of Ireland. A survey of counties Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Clare. Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.