What is recorded here

Mizen peninsula, Three Castles Head, and Promontory fort in County Cork, Ireland: a coastal promontory fort where later medieval defences still shadow older earthworks. The western sea edge, steep cliffs, open water, and repeated building suggest a place long used to watch, exclude, and survive. What is preserved is not a polished monument but a layered line of resistance, exposing how much of human history is still buried beneath ordinary ground.

At westernmost point of Mizen peninsula, on S side of Three Castles Head; traces of earlier defences run in front of, and on same line as, curtain wall of late medieval defences (CO146-001002-), for 25m from cliff to S. Wide fosse (Wth 8m; D 1.6m) runs 2.5m in front of curtain wall; outside is bank (H 1.2m) with external fosse (Wth 4m; D 0.6m). Tracable defences end on line of modern wire fence. Running at oblique angle, outside external fosse low bank with gap defined by flanking slabs; Westropp (1915, 274) regarded this as remains of earliest defences on promontory. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

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