Promontory fort - coastal

The National Monuments Service's description

This possible promontory fort lies in an area of mountainous bogland, and it is overlooked by higher ground to the E. The view along the coast is excellent and the sheer cliffs drop nearly 200 feet down to the sea. A small narrow ridge-like headland measuring 40m long and 10m wide is cut off from the mainland by a V-sectioned fosse running across the neck. It is 8m wide at the top and 1.7m deep. Outcropping rock gives the impression of stone revetting. There is no clear trace of any bank. The interior is quite featureless. This site may be a candidate for Westropp's description of a 'suitable fort-site' which he mentioned without giving the exact location in this townland (1912, 296). Site is 70m to the SE of another promontory fort (MA003-004--).

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 Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.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 Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.