Promontory fort - coastal

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in an area of rough sheep grazing along the north coast of Clare Island. The view from the site W, N and E. This is not marked on the OS maps and had not been previously recorded. A broad N-facing headland measuring 21m E-W by 51m N-S is defended by a low collapsed wall and a ditch. The wall curves slightly and the lower courses of large boulders survive in situ. The wall including collapsed material is 6m in width at present, but existing inner and outer facing suggests it was originally 2m-3m wide. It has several gaps within it, none of which is clearly the remains of an original entrance. Towards the W the wall deteriorates and little facing is visible along here. The ditch is shallow and averages 1.5m wide. Its slight dimensions suggest it was only the quarry ditch for the wall material. The area outside the ditch is strewn with rocks, and several uprights along the outer edge of the ditch may be the remains of an outer wall. The interior of the fort slopes gently and contains one sub-circular hut-site (MA075-09002-). This lies along the inside of the bank near the eastern cliff edge, and measures 2.1m by 2.9m in diameter. It stands only one course of stones high and was drystone built. Two more grassed over settings of stones may be traces of hutsites along the northern cliff edge.

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 Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.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 Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.