Promontory fort - inland

The National Monuments Service's description

On an elongated ridge, which is enclosed on three sides by the Ballysadare River (which emerges through the Collooney gap in the Ox Mountains) and on the fourth side by a silted marshy lake. The S side of the ridge, which rises 4m above the surrounding marsh, was cut off from the remainder by a bank and external fosse, which enclosed an area 85m N-S by at least 75m E-W (cut by a railway line at W). According to local information, this bank and ditch were bulldozed in 1978 (Mount 2002, 106). The inland promontory fort was partially excavated in 1994 (ibid., 103-116) prior to the construction of the Collooney to Carraroe by-pass road (N4). The road was realigned to the E in order to cause minimal damage to the interior of the fort (ibid., 103). Based on evidence from aerial photography and the excavation of the fosse, Mount (ibid., 106-7) concluded that the fort's defences consisted of a stone-faced earthen bank as well as the external fosse and that there was an entrance with a causeway (Wth 6.5m) midway along them. Excavation revealed that the fosse had a maximum width of 5m at the top and of 2.08m at the base. The excavations within the fort also revealed a large quantity of butchered animal remains, iron tools and nails, and vast quantities of iron smelting slag and furnace bottoms, indicating that this was an important industrial centre (ibid., 113). An animal bone found in the fosse produced a radiocarbon determination of 1260+/-40 BP (GrA-2452; 660 to 880 cal AD 2 sigma) (ibid., 106). Within the promontory fort is a burial ground (SL020-166002-), two cairns (SL020-166008-, SL020-166009-) and four hut sites (SL020-166004-). A corn-drying kiln (SL020-166003-) was found within the E half of the interior. Subsequent to Mount's excavation, unauthorised quarrying was carried out at the promontory fort and in 1996 archaeological testing of an undisturbed finger of ground to the N of the area previously excavated, revealed three 'ditches' (Channing 1998b, 156). Though not fully excavated, Channing suggests that these features 'probably relate to [the] inland promontory fort' (ibid.). According to Mount (2002, 105), this promontory fort was well sited to control river traffic from Ballysadare Bay along the Ballysadare River and to guard a possible river crossing between the Barony of Tirerrill to the east and Leyny to the west. (Mount 1994d, 22-3; Mount 1995d, 78-9).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).

Date of upload: 18 January 2008

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 1/1995).