Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the northern edge at eastern end of a small marshy basin below the Capnagower Road, which drains away to E, towards Kinnacorra Point. Four fulachtaí fia lie within 25m of the enclosure around the fringes of the basin: MA085-053---- lies 4m to SE, MA085-052---- some 25m to SE, MA085-053---- lies 20m to NW and MA085-051---- is 7.6m to S. There is also a circular house (MA085-062----) 20m to NE.

The Ordnance Survey maps show a roughly D-shaped enclosure (N–S 17m, E–W 15m) that consists of a dilapidated drystone wall curving from SE, through S and W, to NW. At either end it abuts a sturdy CDB boundary wall running on a NW–SE axis that forms the straight side of the enclosure. The interior is flat. Centrally placed within it is a very slightly raised, rectangular area defined by a scatter of stone (N–S 6.1m, E–W 2.6m); probably the footings of a hay stand.

Although undoubtedly a modern enclosure, its curving line follows the line of an older oval enclosure, traces of which are discernible beneath the curving wall as a low bank of loose stone. This is c. 0.50m high and c. 3.7m wide at W. Its chord would have been in the region of 15m, measured on NW–SE axis along the line of the boundary wall. Very slight traces of it also survive to NE of the boundary wall as a loose scatter of boulders. In total, its line is traceable from ESE, through S and W to WNW, indicating a diameter of c. 20m on ESE–WNW axis. A number of possible revetment stones survive at N just to NE of the boundary wall.

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.