What is recorded here

Promontory fort in County Mayo, Ireland, is a coastal promontory fort where two earthen banks and ditches still mark a narrow triangular chamber facing the sea. The chamber measures 44m long by 16m wide, the outer bank stands 3.1m wide and 1m high, and a 1.3m causeway cuts through the defences near the eastern edge. It sits beside a deep chasm, sheer cliff and sea rocks, exposing whoever entered it to the full reach of the coast.

Situated in an area of gently undulating poor quality pasture with a good view along the coast. Flanked by a deep chasm to the E and by a sheer cliff and sea rocks below to the W the site is overlooked by higher ground to the S. A bivallate promontory fort with a triangular N-facing interior 44m long by 16m wide was enclosed by an inner earthen bank 2.5m wide and 0.5m high. The outer bank stands 3.1m wide and 1m high. The intervening flat-based ditch varies in width from 3m at the western end to 10m at the eastern. The outermost ditch is round bottomed and 1.5m wide and lies 0.2m below ground level. The defences are uniform in height and no facing is visible in the banks. A 1.3m wide causeway runs through the enclosing elements at a point 2.55m from the eastern edge. The interior is level and featureless except for a low earthen bank running diagonally across the garth. These descriptions are derived from the MA thesis of Markus Casey 1999 The coastal promontory forts of Ireland. A survey of counties Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Clare. Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway. Date of upload: 5 December 2018

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.