Enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on the crown of a low hillock in the commonage to NE of Knocknaveen (known locally as ‘Glan Hill’), it overlooks a small hollow immediately to E. Within the hollow is a stream and three fulachtaí fia: MA085-006001- lies 21.5m to SW; MA085-006002-, 11.5m to NW; and MA085-006003-, 21.5m to SW.

The settlement area consists of a relatively flat, grassy, stone-free area, roughly oblong in plan (NE–SW c. 18.7m, NW–SE c. 8.5m). This is delimited by a faint scarp (max. H 0.6m) from ENE to S, a faint line of boulders from S to WSW, again by a scarp (max. 0.4m) from WSW to NW and by a line of boulders from NW through N to NE. At the south-western end, just inside the limits of the area is an abandoned turf stack (max. H 0.7m), its long axis running SE–NW. The stones of which it is constructed may well have been robbed from the enclosure’s perimeter, particularly along the western side. No trace of an entrance was noted.

Adjoining the main settlement area on the gentle, NW-facing slope of the hillock is an annexe-like space (NNW–SSE c. 10m, WSW–ENE c. 17m). This is characterised by an absence of stone. It is delimited along its downslope (north-western) side by a slightly curving rocky scarp (max. H 0.8m), possibly the result of clearing stone to create the annexe. Its limits are clearly defined at its WSW end by a line of boulders protruding from the sward. However, at ENE it simply fades out into a boulder-strewn area.

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.