94 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. - 



as in several other eases, does not meet the requirements of Ireland, as it 

 includes crescent forts, and indeed any that use natural cliffs. In Ireland 

 this would involve bringing together numerous types, properly classed, with 

 far different congeners, so I have ventured to use a more elaborate classifica- 

 tion. The types here used are — (a) The simple headland fort, with a single 

 wall, or mound, with (or without) a fosse, (b) A similar form, but complex, 

 with several earthworks and fosses, with (or without) a wall, (c) The 

 entrenchment and citadel, (d) The multiple fort, with subsidiary entrenched 

 headlands. I may add — (e) The platform, with a gangway natural or artificial ; 

 (/) The headland with a deep natural hollow at the neck ; and {g) the fortified 

 shore-rock, usually isolated at high water. Of these types I found no example 

 of (d.) in South Cork. It is, however, rare — Dun Kilmore, in Mayo ; Doon 

 Castle and Dunsheane, in Kerry ; Dunabrattin, in Waterford ; Baginbun, in 

 Wexford ; and the great Baily of Howth, in Dublin, virtually exhausting the 

 list. Generally speaking, the defences are far slighter and weaker in South 

 Cork than elsewhere : nothing like the great mounds of Bunnafahy, Doonegall, 

 in Clare, or Dunsheane, or the walls of Dunnamo and Dubh Cathair, 

 remains. 



Fiest Type (a). 



The torts of the first type fall into groups, each consisting of a stone wall 

 or of a fosse and mound. They may be grouped as curved or straight ; but I 

 do not regard the former as older than the latter, for, in many cases, the 

 natural lines, ridges, and hollows of the site determined the builders to adopt 

 one or other of the plans. Let us first note the curved works. 



Carrigadoona, Ikisherkin (Ordnance Survey Map No. 153. — Inis 

 Sherkin, in Irish Inis Arcain (Hog Island, or Arcan's Island, if it be a proper 

 name), 1 is the most western point included in this survey of the coast, being 

 closely bound up with Baltimore, our starting-point. Local Irish derivation 

 regards it as Inis Seircin, " little darling," but the evidence of documents 

 dismisses this pretty fancy. It is not named by the early Italian maps ; but the 

 Annals give it as Inis-arcain in 1460 ; it is Inishirkan in 1534 ; Inisercan 

 and Iniserc in 1570, and Inishirke in 1599. It even has a place in ballad 

 poetry through " Inisherkin's ancient fame " being named by Davis in the 

 tragic " Sack of Baltimore," along with " Carbery's hundred isles," and 

 " Gabriel's rough defiles," the last being a beautiful blue dome, channelled 



1 Arcan is possibly a personal name like "Hogg." In Irish names we have Mathgamhan, 

 or bear ; Sinnach, tox ; Cu, hound ; Faelchu, wolf ; and several others taken from 

 animals. 



