Promontory fort - coastal

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the headland now occupied by the castle (MA085-023001-) at the island’s main harbour. Although Westropp (1911, 22) considered this as a potential site, he thought it unsuitable for a promontory fort (1914, 326). However, Casey (1999, 203: Mayo P12) does include it in his catalogue as a potential site. As he has pointed out, the strategic location of this headland vis-à-vis the naturally sheltered mooring and landing place, make this a likely place for a fortification (see also Gosling 1990, 10). Whether it was fortified before or contemporary with the construction of the castle in the sixteenth century is unclear, although the survival of the placename ‘An Bábhún’ (Ó Muraíle 1999, 124, no. 168) might suggest the latter. Although no definite surface traces of any entrenchments are visible, some of the early photographs of the castle do show a slightly sunken lane traversing the promontory from NE to SW just outside the present boundary wall: possibly the line of an entrenchment. On the promontory itself, Casey (1999, 203) noted a ‘faint bank [that] can be seen running across … part of the headland from the air’. This is part of a roughly rectangular grassy platform (L 15m, Wth c. 10.5m) that lies immediately E of the castle. Its long axis runs NE–SW, and it is defined along its SW and NW sides by grassy scarps up to 1.5m in height. Its NE and SW sides are more ragged, being formed by cliff edges. This platform could be the last vestiges of a hall associated with the castle.

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

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

Westropp, T.J. 1914 The promontory forts and early remains of the islands of Connacht. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 44, 297-337.

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 Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.

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

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