Structure in Na Foraí Maola Thoir

Located on top of an overgrown rocky knoll, sloping steeply to the W, in an area of undulating rough pasture and scrub. An unroofed narrow drystone subrectangular structure (5.3m NNW-SSE; 0.8-1.18m ENE-WSW; H 1-1.5m) is visible to the E of a grassy platform/terrace (c. 6m x c. 6m) on the knoll. It is open at its S end and is constructed of a mix of roughly coursed large stones and boulders of local pink granite. The N end consists of a large lower flag-like boulder (Wth 0.8m; H 1.08m T 0.6m) with a smaller boulder on top. The E side is defined by four boulders, three courses high, and the W side consists of five boulders, two courses high. Spalls and packing stones are visible and more recent field-clearance stones have been piled on top of the E side. The interior is littered with collapsed boulders. An outer wall line (L 6.67m), suggesting double-walling (total Wth 1.6m), is visible on the E side of the structure. Its mid-section has collapsed outwards and the N end extends further to the N of E side. Walling (L 2.84m; max. H 1.3m), two to three courses high, extends to the W off the S end of the W side of the structure. It is initially straight, then kinks to the SW where it merges with outcropping rock (L 2.3m), aligned roughly NE-SW, resulting in a ‘court-like’ feature on this side of the structure. A large roughly square boulder (1.03m N-S; 1.03m E-W; max. T 0.54m) is visible on the ground c. 2.3m to the SW of the walling and an enormous irregular natural boulder (H 1.42m; max. Wth 0.75m; max. T 1m) is visible 6.3m to the S of the opening of the structure. It is difficult to determine the function or date of this structure. It may have functioned as some sort of shelter or pen. Another somewhat similar feature (4.9m N-S; av. Wth 1.2m) is visible to the E of it. They are almost parallel and separated by a rough poached trackway (Wth 2m). The latter structure is more crudely built of irregular boulders and bedrock. The following images have been uploaded: GA093-029----_01.jpg View from S GA093-029----_02.jpg N end of structure GA093-029----_03.jpg Walling extending to W GA093-029----_04.jpg Similar structure to E Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 4 November 2022