Promontory fort - coastal

The National Monuments Service's description

This site lies in an area of coarse grazing and bog. It is overlooked by higher ground inland although the view along the coast is excellent. A triangular NE-facing promontory ending in a narrow spit of land is cut off from the mainland by a bank and ditch. The bank is round topped and clearly visible, though rising only 1m above the ditch. It is 8m wide and no gaps through it can be seen. The ditch is 4m wide and 0.3m below the outer ground level. The defences are only 7m long, and there is evidence of recent collapse along the cliff edge to the southeast of the site. The old ground layer 0.3m below the present ground surface is clearly visible in this section in the cliff face. The interior measures 30m in length and the headland ends in a circular platform cut off from the rest of the site by a narrow neck. Remains of a wall around the perimeter of the platform are visible and besides this the fort is featureless. Access to the sea is difficult but possible from the interior. This site has been described by Westropp (1914b,78) and has deteriorated since his visit. It is not marked on the OS maps.

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 Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.

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 Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.

Westropp, T.J. 1914 The promontory forts and early remains of the coasts of County Mayo. Part 3. The Mullet (continued). Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 44, No. 1, 67-83.