Promontory fort

Doonbinnia/Dún Binne: A narrow promontory overlooking the Blasket Sound a little N of Dunquin Harbour. The landward, NE end of the promontory has been provided with double banks and fosses, traversed by a causeway 4.5m wide. The outer fosse, 40m long and 4m wide, falls .75m below the ground level outside and rises 1.5m to the top of the outer bank. This latter is generally 4m wide, but there is also a 4m wide berm along the W portion of its inner flank. The inner fosse is also 4m wide and rises 2.5m to the top of the inner bank which is about 7m wide. In the vicinity of the entrance, just below the top of this inner bank, are 2 shallow depressions about 1.5m in diameter and delimited by grass-covered stones. These may have been guard-chambers, but the remains are too vague for definite classification. On the landward approach to the site are a number of sub-rectangular depressions apparently used for storing seaweed in the recent past (local information). The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 261. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 4 August 2013