Cliff-edge fort in An Blascaod Mór

An Dún: This unusual site is located in an exposed position about 350m E of the summit of Slieve-donagh/Sliabh an Dúna (937 feet/286m). Two conjoined enclosures are situated at the highest part of the mountain slope, on the edge of the cliffs which form the NW side of the mountain. They consist of 2 oval platforms, defined to NW by the cliff-face, and along the remainder of their perimeters by what is either the remains of a stone wall or of a stone-built revetment to the steep inner side of the deep fosse which surrounds both platforms and separates them from each other. An outer bank, composed almost entirely of earth, is present beyond the fosse. Immediately outside this bank is a trackway which leads up from the village at the NE end of the island and which was probably constructed to facilitate bringing home the turf. The sites are generally very ruinous and disturbed, and detailed interpretation of both the defences and the internal features is difficult. The outer bank averages c. 6.5m in width and rises a maximum of 2m above both the external ground level and the base of the fosse. A very short stretch of its inner face is revetted with drystone masonry, but there is no trace of this feature elsewhere. The bank is very ill-defined where it meeets the cliff-edge at either side of the site. The fosse is roughly 2m wide at base and now contains much stone collapse from the inner wall. A stone-walled sheep-shelter has been constructed within it at the E side of the E site. The platforms which form the interiors of the sites lie between 2m and 3.2m above the base of the fosse. The sides of the platforms, that is the inner flank of the fosse, appear formerly to have been revetted with drystone walling, possibly 2-tiered, but, though a few sections of the wall face remain intact to a maximum height of 1.6m, this is now represented for the most part by a large amount of stone collapse. It is not certain that there was ever a wall enclosing the interiors, but, though no definite traces of inner wall faces survive, the stone collapse does rise above the interiors as a low bank, generally less than .4m high, and these banks continue around the N perimeter of each platform, above the cliff-edge. There are 2 breaks through the outer bank. The 1st consists of a 5.1m wide gap at the S side of the E site. However, this only breaks through the upper part of the bank and is unlikely to be an original entrance. The 2nd consists of a 1.6m wide break giving access to the fosse at the SE side of the W site. The possibility that this constitutes an original entrance is supported by the presence of a corresponding, though very ill-defined, break in the inner defence. The W platform measures 13m E-W x 7m N-S across its upper surface. Two large circular clochauns were formerly visible in the interior (Mason 1950, 103-4). A spread of stone collapse in the E sector, and a roughly circular stony bank in the W sector may represent their remains. The E platform measures c. 19m E-W x 14m N-S across its upper surface. Two modern, stone-walled sheep-shelters occur in the interior. The stone collapse and sections of ruined walling in the W sector may be the remains of others but could also indicate the locations of 1 or more hut-sites. Near the centre is a partly drystone-lined depression, c. 2m long x .8m wide x .85m deep. This may have been part of a souterrain but classification is not certain. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 1521. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 5 August 2013