Promontory fort - coastal

The National Monuments Service's description

This possible promontory fort was first noted by Casey (1999, 90-1) who described it as follows:
‘A previously unnoted promontory fort lies on a narrow west-facing peninsula at the extreme southwestern end of Inishmurray. The surrounding land consists of gently rolling open poor quality pasture and bog, with traces of old cultivation ridges visible nearby. Low but sheer cliffs surround the headland on three sides. Faint traces of two slightly curving earthen banks and two fosses crossing the neck of the headland are visible from the air. The triangular interior measures approximately 20.5m long and 10.5m wide at the bank, reducing to 4m wide at the western extremity. The bank is of earth and stands 20cm high and measures 3.1m wide at the base. A band of darker vegetation running along the outside suggests the former presence of an external fosse, the second bank and fosse cannot be seen on the ground. The interior is flat, level and featureless.’
Following a survey of the archaeology of the island in 1997-99, O’Sullivan and Ó Carragáin (2008, 172) recorded this monument as follows: A possible promontory fort is recorded by the SMR files on this narrow, eroding headland. There is a remnant of a low grassy bank (0.3 m high) on the neck of the promontory, but this is a slight feature, demarcating only a small area (c. 40 sq m) and no ditch or occupation strata appear in the eroding cliff section at either side. No significant evidence of a promontory fort exists on the site. Heraughty (1982, 19) is probably right in ascribing any earthwork remnants on this site to agricultural enclosures.

Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 18 August 2017

References

O'Sullivan J. and Ó Carragáin T. 2008 Inishmurray: Monks and Pilgrims in an Atlantic Landscape. Volume 1: Archaeological Survey and Excavations 1997-2000. The Collins Press. Cork.

Heraughty P. 1982 Inishmurray. Ancient monastic island. Dublin. (revised ed.)

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 Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.