Discover Alone, back to main map

Hut site in Clahane

Hut site

What is recorded here

Knockmoyle Mountain holds a ruined hut circle and two stripped cairns above the Lee and Maine Valleys, where ancient stone was taken to build sheepfolds. The largest cairn still rises 1.5m on its western edge, marking a lost circular chamber 20m across. A smaller mound lies 7m north, perhaps a second cairn or merely folded sheepfold wall. The view stretches east toward the damaged stones, linking human ambition, loss and endurance on one of Kerry’s highest passes.
This site is situated on the summit of Knockmoyle Mountain, approximately 1km west of sites 24 and 25, above. The site offers similarly expansive views of the Lee and Maine Valleys but does appear to have more of a focus toward the two cairns described above, which can clearly be seen to the east. Knockmoyle and Knockawaddra mountains occupy either side of the highest point of Scotia's Glen, the main pass through the western end of the Slieve Mish. The cairn has been heavily damaged and robbed stone has been used to construct numerous sheepfolds on and around the site. The cairn appears to have been circular with a diameter of 20m and it still remains to a height of 1.5m on its western side. There is, possibly a second cairn 7m to the north of the main example. This low cairn measures 8m N-S and 10m E-W, with an extant height of 0.8m. However, it should be noted that this may be the result of sheepfold construction and the removal of stone from the main site. The RMP records both a hut site complex KE038-071---- and a single hut site KE038-072---- in this area on the summit of Knockmoyle. These sites were not recorded on the old SMR and only occur on the 1997 RMP update. They were probably identified from aerial photography and are undoubtedly the sheepfolds constructed with material from the cairn described above. Above description is from 'Tralee Area Monument Catalogue' part of a PhD thesis submitted by Michael Connolly to UCC.

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.

What survives
Recorded monument

Places near here

Add to this placeAdd a picture Comment or add a tip

Explore 1,118,481 places