Hut site

The National Monuments Service's description

Inishtooskert, the northernmost of the Blasket island group, lies 4 miles off the W extremity of the Dingle Peninsula and 2.5 miles N of the Great Blasket. An area of 241 acres is bounded on all sides by sea-cliffs, and the land slopes upwards in a NW direction, from under 100 feet (30m) OD along the SE side to a maximum altitude of 573 feet (175m) roughly midway along the NW side of the island. The land is generally rocky with a thin soil cover and the N half of the island is devoid of any trace of settlement activity. Part of the S half of the island is occupied by a small field system, and it is within this that the Early Christian settlement, named after St. Brendan, is located.

(4) (KE051-001004-) One of the rectangular drystone-built huts is built within the thickness of the wall at the NW corner of the 1st enclosure. It measures 1.85 x 1.08m internally and is roofed by flat flags at a height of .65m above the floor. The entrance in the E wall is .47m wide. The 2nd structure is built against the inner face of the N wall of the enclosure. It measures 1.5 x 2.18m x 1.04m in height internally and the walls are formed by upright slabs with some drystone walling filling the interstices and the gap between the upright slabs and the flagged roof. The entrance at the SW corner is only .35m wide.

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 844. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 8 August 2013