Enclosure in Inis Mhic Aoibhleáin

Inishvickillane, the southernmost of the Blasket islands, lies 7 miles SW of Slea Head and 9 miles from the nearest embarkation point at Dunquin pier. The island has an area of 199 acres and the Early Christian monastic settlement KE061-006---- lies at the SE end of the island, on the E slopes of a rocky buff which rises prominently above the remainder of the island. The enclosed fields to E and S of the settlement may represent a continuation from the Early Christian period or may be the work of the later historic settlers. The earliest reference to the island, found in the Register of the Hospital of St. John the Baptist in Dublin, dates to the early 13th century and is 'a deed of gift from Adam Dundno of a mark of silver owed to him by Ricardus de Marisc as annual rent' for the island (Stagles 1980, 118). It is not known to what use the island was put at that time. It was uninhabited in 1756 (Smith, 183) but was intermittently occupied by one or more families during the 19th century and into the 20th century (Stagles, 121). The monastery is not defined by a formal enclosure but the main focus of the settlement, including the oratory (1), graveyard (2), leacht (3), a possible hut-site (4) and a holy well (5), consists of an irregular area, roughly1/2 an acre in extent, on the E slopes of a rocky buff which reaches a maximum height of 453 feet/138m OD about 100m to SW of the monastery for which it provides a limited amount of shelter from the prevailing winds. The area slopes markedly downhill to E but this has been somewhat counteracted by terracing of the hillslope. It is defined to NW by a large rocky crag, to W by the uphill edge of the westernmost terrace which is revetted with large boulders and may formerly have been surmounted by a wall, to S by a large rock and by a line of large boulders, and to E by the lower edge of the easternmost terrace, surmounted for most of its length by a drystone wall which then turns W to enclose the NE part of the site. The W half of the area thus defined is featureless except for some terracing, but it has been disturbed by the recent construction of a water reservoir. The E half of the site is sub-divided into 3 distinct, irregularly-shaped areas or enclosures which are defined by a combination of large boulders, drystone walls and terracing. The southernmost of these is devoid of features. The central one, measuring 16m N-S x 13m E-W, is occupied by a possible house-site (4). The northernmost enclosure measures c. 21m E-W x 17m N-S and is defined along its S and E sides by the stone wall which surmounts the edge of the terrace and along its N and W sides by a loosely-built and poorly-preserved wall which, at its S end, turns E to meet the oratory. The enclosure is occupied by the oratory, graveyard, leacht and stone cross and also formerly contained 2 cross-slabs (6) and a cross-inscribed ogham stone (7). A stone font (8) and a stone lamp (9) were formerly housed within the oratory. Two possible hut-sites (10 and 11) lie outside the main focus of the settlement. The enclosure wall which extends W from the oratory is unlikely to be contemporary with it as it obscures the external angle at SW. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 845. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 8 August 2013