Promontory fort - inland

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a promontory jutting out into the S end of Ballaghkeeran Bay in Killinure Lough at SE end of Lough Ree. The Breensford River runs c. 90m to S which forms the townland boundary with Ballykeeran. Monument described in 1976-1981 as an oval-shaped area (approx. dims. 130m N-S; 90m E-W) situated on a promontory which is separated from the mainland by an inner bank, an intervening fosse and an outer bank from NE-E-S-SW and defined by a steep scarp rising from the lakeshore from SW-W-N-NE. The inner bank (max. H 1m; Wth 2m) is almost reduced to a scarp and rises level with the interior. The intervening fosse (Wth 3-5m) is relatively wide. A low, wide outer bank (Wth 5-7m; H 0.3m) is visible outside the fosse from NE-SE. A modern drain has been cut through the fosse along the E side and similar drains cut through the outer bank at SE. A house site (WM022-041001-) is visible in the SE quadrant of the enclosure. The remainder of the interior is covered by lazy-beds running E-W. Reputed locally to be the site of a Viking longphort, however there is little surface evidence to suggest that it is Viking in date. The site was recorded and excavated by Mr. T. Fanning, University College Galway between 1980-84 (www.excavations.ie). An oak planked jetty (WM022-041003-) is located on the shoreline to the immediate W of the enclosure and a house site (WM022-041002-) is visible to the immediate NE. A possible burial mound (WM022-041004-), also reputed to be Viking in date, lies c. 35m to S.

See attached plan and profile of monument surveyed and drawn by the ASI.

Compiled by: Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien

Date of upload: 17 July 2019