Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

This site is located in an elevated position on the rough, wet, rocky lower slopes of Slievenagower, overlooking Lough Adoon and the valley of the Scorid river to W. The present structure is related to sheep farming in the area, being comprised of a semi-circular enclosure, 30m in diameter and open along its E side, within which are a number of pens and shelters in fairly good condition. The enclosing wall is up to 1.5m high and abuts the S side of a disused E-W field wall, the relationship between the two being obscured by collapse.
There is some evidence that the present enclosure wall was built on top of a more substantial wall which may relate to an earlier, possibly circular, enclosure. The final c. 8m of the enclosure wall at N is only .3m high but is 1.8m wide in contrast to an average width elsewhere of about .9m. The wall then gradually increases in height and decreases in width, but to NW, for a distance of 6m, the present wall stands on top of what appears to be a continuation of the wider section. The earlier wall is not discernible internally at NW, but externally it is 1m high and protrudes .4m beyond the base of the later wall, indicating a wall thickness of c. 1.4m. Its lower courses are constructed with considerably larger stones than those used in the remainder of the wall. Where the later wall ends at E, its curving outline is continued around the SE sector of the site by a line of horizontally-laid large flags which may also relate to an earlier enclosure.

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 1551. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 5 August 2013