Field boundary in Teeromoyle

The Ferta river rises in the high ground between Teermoyle and Coomcarrea mountains, then descends steeply to run WSW along a flat-bottomed valley towards Valencia Harbour. Immediately below its steep descent, on its S side, is a series of walls which criss-cross the mountain face and disappear beneath the peat on the lower mountain slopes. Three huts, which may be related to the walls, occur towards the NW end of the system. Only a thin mantle of peat covers the higher mountain slopes, where the walls stand up to 1m above ground surface. On the lower slopes, a number of the walls are cut through by modern drains, where it becomes apparent that they were constructed on the pre-peat ground surface. These walls, averaging 1.2m wide, are composed of intermittently spaced uprights, boulder-like slabs set on edge and an infill of loose tumbles of stones. In general, only the upper portions of the uprights are visible. A subrectangular hut (KE070-105001-), 67m S of the river, is defined by slabs set on edge. It measures 3m x 4m internally and a possible entrance gap at N, .8m wide, leads into an adjoining circular enclosure (KE070-105003-). This is crudely built and measures 4m x 5m internally. A small circle of large slabs, N of the enclosure, may be an animal shelter (KE070-105004-). Some 230m to E is the remains of a pair of conjoined circular hut foundations. Roughly equidistant to the NE is a second pair of conjoined circular huts of corbelled drystone construction measuring 2.9m x 2.7m and 2.8m x 2.5m internally. The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 64. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 28 July 2013