Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Promontory fort - coastal
Caher Island, County Mayo, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Caher Island
- County
- Mayo
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.72062, -10.03824
- SMR number
- MA094-001----
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Rolleston (1900, 358-9) noted a fenced headland on the northwestern end of Caher Island. He writes: 'It is possible to trace the remains of a stone wall cutting off this portion of the island, the portion bordered by the sea-cliff, from the rest, in the manner of some of the stone forts on the Aran Islands and elsewhere...' However, he could not make up his mind whether this was an ancient structure or a modern fence. Westropp (1912) mentioned the site but omitted it from his list. This site was not visited.
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 Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.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 Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.
Westropp, T.J. 1912 The promontory forts and early remains of the coasts of county Mayo. Part 1. The North Coast (Tirawley and Erris) (continued) Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 42, no. 2, 101-139.
Nearby in the register
- Ritual site - holy wellunder 1 mi
- Field systemunder 1 mi
- Leachtunder 1 mi
- Cross-slabunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.