Hut site in Barnastooka — Report the wrong picture

What is recorded here

Mud and uncut slabs still hold the shape of a tiny booley hut on a steep Barnastooka slope, overlooking a farmstead that appeared later. A child could have sat inside the shallow room, watched rain strike the grass, and waited for butter to be carried to the small circular clamp nearby. The wind farm never erased that much smaller urgency: heat, food, shelter, and the company of another person for one bright summer.

New site identified by John Cronin & Associates (JCA) under Licence No. 16E0127 prior to wind farm development in Barnastooka, Kilgarvan, Co. Kerry by ESB Wind Development Ltd. The remains of a hut site consisting of roughly rectangular one-roomed structure aligned NW-SE. Located at ITM grid co-ord. 506701, 571452 on a short but steep grassy slope, with a rocky outcrop 8m to the east, and a stream 30m to the east. Overlooking an early 19th-century farmstead 150m to the south east. Dug into slope with up-cast material used to build eastern side wall and southern end wall. Wall material consists of medium- to large-sized stones and uncut slabs with earthen material between them and covering them. Interior contains fallen stones. No surviving evidence of roofing. Probable entrance in SW-corner of structure, with further fallen stones immediately outside that. This structure may be the remains of a booley hut that was abandoned below the establishment of aforementioned farmstead. Dimensions: Internal: 2.9m x 1.9m; External: 4m x 3.3m; Int. wall height: 0.8m; Avg. wall width: 0.7m. Located c.12m to the E, at the bottom of the slope but still partly dug into it, is a smaller and more ephemeral circular feature. It is defined by a very low earthen bank, with an opening (marked by a stone on one side) facing east. This may be a storage clamp for butter/cheese associated with the booley hut. Dimensions of ancillary feature: Int. diameter: 0.7m; External dimensions: 1.6m x 2m. See attached photograph courtesy John Cronin. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by John Cronin Date of upload: 7 April 2022

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