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Promontory fort

Promontory fort, coastal

What is recorded here

An Lisín, the little ringfort, still holds its line against the sea on a headland south of the pig island. Its convex stone wall and deep fosse suggest people valued the view enough to carry rock across water and stack it against the sky. The lost houses beside the fort may have belonged to keepers of that view, watching boats, weather or the movement of life along the coast.
KE008-001---- is known locally as 'Lisheen', An Lisín (the little ringfort), is cut by a fine natural arch and lies S of Illaunamuck, Oileán na muc (island of the pigs). It consists of a stone wall which revetted a rock-scarp. It measures 34m long and has a maximum height of 2m above the fosse and 2m above the interior. The fosse, like the bank, is convex to the landward side. The fosse measures 37m x c5m wide x .8m below the enclosing fieldbank. Abutting the stone bank on its internal side at its NE end is a sub-rectangular house-site (KE008-001001-) measuring 5m x 10m; the walls are about 1m in thickness. About 5m behind this structure are two smaller huts, or possibly one house-site (KE008-001002-) divided into two, measuring 4m x 6m and 3m x 5m respectively. A small circular hut site (KE008-001003-) measuring 3m in diameter stands in the NW sector and there is also evidence of a possible Man-made underground passage. In the SW sector there is also a rectangular house site (KE008-001004-) measures 5m x 12m. According to Westropp (1909, 318), the stones of the house-sites were used to wall in the headland. The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 110. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 2 August 2013

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What survives
Recorded monument

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