Habitation site in Pierce's Island

An old bohareen leads down to the possible habitation site on Pierce's Island and the possible lead mines. The Pierces (descendants of Piers, younger son of Thomas, 1st Lord of Kerry 1280) gave their name to Pierce's Island, a tall rock which is isolated in high water. There would appear to be a rectangular structure on top of the island, but for safety reasons it could not be closely examined or recorded. According to locals, steps once led up to this rectangular structure. To the E of Pierce's Island there appears to be some sort of enclosure which contains a number of mounds and depressions. According to Sir Richard Cox (1687): 'Tyduff or Kerry Head the south promontory of the River Shenin near which are round Amethysts and Egmerines. Not far from thence is a great cave called Powlaglugger where such a noise is made by the sea before a storm as is heard 60 miles off. Hereabouts is the best Lead mine in Ireland, but hard to Worke (in correction) because it runs into the ocean.' This could possibly refer to this site, and might also support the lead mine tradition at Poultarriff (KE009-092----). Mr John Pierse has stated that there is also a local tradition of collecting salt in this area. This enclosure is cut into two unequal parts by a fieldbank running in a NE-SW direction. An earthen enclosing bank surrounds this from the NE through E to S to SW; the rest is a natural cliff drop to the sea. The enclosing bank can best be traced from the S to SW, where it is 5m wide and .6m high; elsewhere it appears as a rise. An exterior fosse can be also traced for the length of the enclosing bank. It is c 6m wide and .5m deep. To the W of the fieldbank are a number of depressions, a lot of them waterlogged, whereas on the E side there would appear to be possible subsquare and sub-rectangular structures. The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 1112. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 3 August 2013