What is recorded here

Inishtooskert, the northernmost Blasket island, holds a small Early Christian field system named after St. Brendan. The westernmost enclosure measures about 17.5m by 13.8m, contains a large clochaun in its NW corner, and may have had a second hut beside it. That much is recorded. Whether Brendan himself walked there, or only took his name across the water, the stones leave open.

Inishtooskert, the northernmost of the Blasket island group, lies 4 miles off the W extremity of the Dingle Peninsula and 2.5 miles N of the Great Blasket. An area of 241 acres is bounded on all sides by sea-cliffs, and the land slopes upwards in a NW direction, from under 100 feet (30m) OD along the SE side to a maximum altitude of 573 feet (175m) roughly midway along the NW side of the island. The land is generally rocky with a thin soil cover and the N half of the island is devoid of any trace of settlement activity. Part of the S half of the island is occupied by a small field system, and it is within this that the Early Christian settlement, named after St. Brendan, is located. The westernmost of the enclosures (KE051-001021-) is irregular in plan and measures c. 17.5m N-S x 13.8m E-W. It is subdivided internally but the dividing wall may be a late feature. The large clochaun (7) occupies the NW corner and a 2nd hut may have been adjoined to its S side. The latter is now represented by a large spread of stone collapse with a hollowed centre measuring c. 3.2m in diameter. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 844. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 8 August 2013

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