Promontory fort - coastal

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a remote W-facing headland along the indented coastline of the Mullet peninsula. The area is one of exposed mountainous bogland, shallow soil cover and outcropping rock. Sheer cliffs fall 200 feet to the sea. The view from the site along the coast is panoramic and the fort is overlooked by higher ground to the E and N. A roughly rectangular headland measuring 89m E-W by 49m N-S was defended by a straight revetted earthen bank and ditch spanning the neck. The bank is 4m wide and 0.7m high and has clear traces of a sandstone slab revetment along its outer face. The ditch is very faint being partly obscured by a path running through it. A recent earthen field bank runs along the outer edge of the ditch, hiding any trace of a possible counterscarp bank . There is no clear evidence of an original entrance. The featureless interior slopes steeply down to the north and only the northeastern corner of the garth would have been suitable for habitation. A freshwater stream runs over the cliff near the site.

These descriptions are derived from the MA thesis of Markus Casey 1999 The coastal promontory forts of Ireland. A survey of counties Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Clare. Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway. In this instance the entry has been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 5 December 2018

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 Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.