Promontory fort - coastal

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the N-eastern cliff-bound coast of the island 620m SE of the lighthouse. ‘Doonallia’ is one of three sea stacks and numerous detached rocks that lie close to the outfall of a small stream. However, it differs from the others in that it is still connected to the land by a narrow grassy saddle that incorporates a massive chunk of rock. A very narrow and precipitous path descends from the landward side to this saddle, beyond which a very steep grassy slope ascends to the summit of the promontory, which is over 10m high. A possible promontory fort (MA075-006----) lies c. 50m to SE.

The promontory fort is named as ‘Doonallia Isd.’ in Roman script on first edition of Ordnance Survey map (1840): the name is noted by Mac Neill (1913, no. 42, 18) and by Ó Muraíle (1999, 109, 112, 117). The saddle connecting the promontory fort to the mainland is much eroded since Westropp’s time. In his latest account of the site (1914, 325), he described it as a ‘lofty causeway of earth and stones, faced to either side with drystone work, 6 feet [1.8m] wide and often 12 feet high [3.65m]’. Only portions of it now survive, the rest having been eroded into the boulder beach. Nevertheless, it remains as a dry neck of ground even at the spring tides.

The summit is of irregular plan and slopes steadily from S to N (NNE–SSW c. 43m): the third edition of Ordnance Survey map (1920) gives its acreage as ‘3 R[oods and] 8 P[erches]’. It varies in width from c. 26m at south-south-western end to c. 6m at the north-north-eastern, narrowing to c. 5m at one point between. The ground is generally level and grassy underfoot (and overgrown with ferns in summer), save for the undulations of the four associated houses (MA075-005002-, MA075-005003-, MA075-005004-, MA075-005005-). Apart from two small isolated grassy tufts (H 0.65m max.) at the extreme south-western (highest) end of the summit, no trace of any enclosing banks survive. The latter are now perched, c. 2m apart, right on the cliff edge and follow an ESE–WNW axis. There is also a possible fragment of bank (L c. 2m, Wth c. 1.2m, H 0.3m) along the western perimeter immediately WNW of one of the houses. These are all that remain of the ‘slight bank of earth and stones round the landward edge’ mentioned by Westropp in 1911 (1911, 21) and described in more detail by him in 1914 (p. 325). See also Casey (1999, 119, Mayo 19); Westropp (1911a passim).

The above description is derived from: New Survey of Clare Island. Volume 5: Archaeology. Edited by Paul Gosling, Conleth Manning and John Waddell. (Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. 2007). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated.

Date of upload: 29 November 2018

References

Gosling, P., Manning, C. and Waddell, J. (eds.) 2007 New Survey of Clare Island, Volume 5: Archaeology. Dublin, Royal Irish Academy.

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.

MacNeill, J. 1913 Clare Island Survey: placenames and family names. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 31 (1911-15), section 1, part 3, 1-42.

Westropp, T.J. 1911 Sketches in Ireland. Vol. 7 1904–10. Part of a manuscript collection of field drawings bound into seven volumes (c. 1880–1910). Royal Irish Academy Library, ref. 3 A 46-52. Dublin.

ó Muraille, N. 1999 The place-names of Clare Island. In C. Mac Cárthaigh and K. Whelan (eds) New Survey of Clare Island. Volume 1: history and cultural landscape, 99-141. Dublin. Royal Irish Academy

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.

Westropp, T.J. 1911 Clare Island survey: history and archaeology. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 31, Section 1, Part 2, 1-78.