Hut site

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a break of slope on the crest of a steep, SW-facing rise overlooking Gorteen and Beetle Head. The huts lie 10m SE of the end of where an old wall peters out (part of MA084-034----) and 3m E of another hut (MA084-013----). It consists of the faint outline of a pair of conjoined huts, both roughly oval in plan (7.6m NW–SE, 4.5m NE–SW; max. overall). Both huts are defined by poorly preserved wall lines com- prised of intermittent angular stones interposed with a number of large boulders, some of which appear earthfast. The interiors of both huts are flat and completely stone free.

The northernmost hut is the better defined of the two (4.5m NE–SW, 3.9m NW–SE). A rough line of two large slabs and a smaller stone set on edge probably mark the line of an internal revetment from SSE through S to SW. The slab at the south-south-eastern end is up to 0.45m high. A number of small stones barely protruding from the sod from ESE to NE possibly mark its continuation. The gap between these possible revetment lines, from ESE to SSE, possibly marks the entrance from N to the southern hut (Wth 0.9m). Apart from the above, the remainder of the perimeter of the northern hut is marked by small stones and a number of very large, apparently earthfast boulders, notably at N, WNW and SSW.

The southern hut is slightly more oval in appearance (3.7m NW–SE, 3.4m NE–SW) and is distinguished by having fewer stones than the northern hut. Possible internal wall faces are just traceable from NNE to ENE and at SE, but the stones here do not protrude more than 0.15m above sod. There are gaps in the lines of stones at E, SE and SSW, any of which could mark the entrance.

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.