Hut site

The National Monuments Service's description

Square-shaped hut site (ext. dims. 3.8m x 3.5m; int. dims. 2.2m x 2.3m) aligned NE-SW, with entrance in W corner. On fairly flat ground, located a few metres W of a stream that forms the townland boundary with Mín na Saileach (Meenasillagh). The stream marks the townland boundary with Mín na Saileach (Meenasillagh). Grassy vegetation around site, giving way to blanket peat. Walls (avg. H 0.3m; avg. Wth 0.5m) are largely of stone construction with coursing evident in places. Peat packing and bracken overgrowth obscures much. Small quantity of stone tumble suggests that walls were originally topped by sods. At either side of this central structure are two further walls of roughly the same length. The S of these curves at either end so that there are gaps of only 1.6m and 1.1m between it and the central structure. This suggests that it was a roofed annexe (L 3m x 0.7m Wth; max. H 1.1m) to the latter, for storing dairy products or keeping calves. The N wall (L 3.25m; Wth 0.45m; H 0.4m) is built of rubble and sods. It does not have curving ends and is some 2.5m from the central structure. It may belong to an earlier construction phase and/or have acted as a shelter wall (Costello 2016, 314; 2020, 85).

See attached photographs courtesy of Dr. Eugene Costello

Compiled by: Dr Eugene Costello

Date of upload: 27 August 2020

References

Costello, E. 2020 Transhumance and the Making of Ireland’s Uplands, 1550-1900. Woodbridge. Boydell.

Costello, E. 2016 Upland transhumance practices in Ireland, and their role in post-medieval settlement and society, c.1550-1900 AD. Unpublished doctoral thesis, NUI Galway.