Cloghaun — Church Island (iveragh By., Castlequin Ed)

National Monument No. 59. Circular Stone House (KE079-032005-): This house stands close to the highest point of the island, from where the diorite with which it was built may have been quarried. Averaging 8.3m in external diameter, its corbelled wall stands to a maximum height of 3.1m above original floor level and averages 1.9m in basal thickness. It is roughly faced internally. A doorway, .6m in basal width, occurs at NE; its jambs were largely rebuilt by the OPW at the turn of the century, when the wall was also provided with a concrete capping. The internal diameter of the house at floor level is 4.5m. It had a timber-framed roof, supported on twelve evenly spaced posts that were set around the perimeter of the floor area. Two of these posts were positioned on either side of the door opening and presumably served as its frame. The uppermost layer of the floor deposit was a thick spread of carbonised organic matter, interpreted as burnt thatch, which contained a number of large iron nails. Beneath this the floor surface was revealed as a trampled deposit of habitation refuse which extended outwards through the doorway to the NE edge of the island. Composed mostly of shells, animal and fish bones, peat and carbonised grain, it contained a number of finds, including a quern, a net sinker and several iron knives. Close to the doorway was a large hearth containing peat ash, as well as shells and bone. An arrangement of small post-holes against the S wall of the house suggested that a seat or bed was located here. A small drain with slate cover-slabs ran from the interior of the house through the doorway. An annulus feature of roughly built stonework, two to three courses high, surrounded the external base of the house. Evidence indicated that it had been built some time after the construction of the house and that it served to support an insulating mantle of turves. 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. 927. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 29 July 2013