Hut site in Arraglen (corkaguiny By., Castlegregory Ed),killiney,tullig (corkaguiny By., Castlegregory Ed)

On a visit to the Killiney/Stradbally area in 1947, the Co. Kerry Field Club recorded a number of features on the S slopes of Stradbally mountain which may indicate the presence there of an early ecclesiastical settlement. Repeated local enquiry failed to throw any light on the precise location of the site but the description in the Field Club minutes and information from Seán Ó Dubhda, Ballyduff, indicates that it lay S of the main road, in an area of open moorland on the middle slopes of the hillside in either Arraglen, Killiney or Tullig townland. Much of this area is now forested and there seems little chance of relocating the site at this stage. The features noted included: (1) (KE036-087001-) A large roughly circular bullaun stone, inscribed with a cross with scrolled or c-curve terminals to head and arms and a T-bar terminal at base. (2) (KE036-087002-) A 'village' of stone huts which may simply have been sheep-folds or -shelters as such structures were often interpreted by the Field Club as villages. (3) (KE036-087003-) A drystone-built oblong building of much better construction than the huts. It measured 20 feet (6m) E-W x 15 feet (4.6m) N-S and the walls were slightly corbelled. No opes were preserved but the structure was interpreted as a boat-shaped oratory. From the limited information available, it is not possible to confirm this classification. (4) (KE036-087004-) A single beehive hut stood to W of the bullaun stone and near it was a circular stone with a central hole or well. The stone appears to have been of considerable size and may have been a bullaun stone or possibly a mill stone. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 813. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 7 August 2013