Westropp — Fortified Headlands and Castles, S. Coast Munster. 219 



last century, when the former tenant carted away the stone rampart of the 

 inner fort. 1 The mound is curved, 14 feet thick at the gangway, and 

 about 25 feet at the base, 6 feet to 7 feet high in the middle, but about 

 20 feet at the ends, for the fosses are saddle-backed, the outer 25 feet wide, 

 the inner 28 feet, of varying depth. These works are entire at the ends, 

 there being no traces even of fairly old cliff-falls save to the south-east 

 of the inner part, which rises like a bastion turret from the cliff below. In 

 the outer fosse, on my first visit with Mr. Ussher, we found a block of dark 

 brown sandstone, with some ogmic-like scores that could be read " Amare," 2 

 but were not a normal inscription. 3 On my later visit it had disappeared, 

 possibly rolled over the cliff below by some idler, as so usual. 



The dry-stone walls of the citadel are nearly gone. They embodied a low 

 mound of clay and stones still 3 feet to 4 feet high ; part of the wall with 

 the east cliff fell en masse long ago, the break being quite weather-toned 

 and grassed. The wall clings to the very edge of the platform, giving a 

 very irregular plan. The platform is roughly 141 feet north and south, 

 and 40 feet to 60 feet wide ; there is a slight angle or rather dip inward to 

 the west, whence a straight wall crossed the garth. Between this and the 

 entrance is a circular hut, hollow, with a closed souterrain, 4 the uamh of the 

 local name Teach an ooan. Such are rather rare in promontory forts; they 

 are said to have been found in Dunmore near Slea Head, Co. Kerry, and one 

 occurs in Dooneendermotmore near Toe Head, Co. Cork. A streamlet falls 

 over the cliff from a little spring close beside the fort. 



Balltnaeeid, Illatjnobeic, Oilean Ui Bheic or Dane's Island (O.S. 32). — 

 One of the most imposing fort-sites of the Irish coast is found at Illaunobric 

 in Ballynarrid townland and Decies without Drum. 5 A huge dark tower of 

 rock rises sheer from the shore, being nearly perpendicular, 6 even towards the 



1 This has been so frequently done, even in human memory, that the only dry-stone 

 enclosure in any sort of preservation seen by me in the district is beyond reach of carts 

 at the summit of the pass of Barnawaddra above Kilrossanty Church, the Kilrosnety of 

 the Taxation of 1302, and Kilrossynt of the Plea Rolls (No. 25, an. xii Edw. II, m. 6 

 dorso and No. 134, m. 13 dorso). 



2 Journal R. S. Antt. Ir., vol. xxxvi, p. 249. 



3 Perhaps meant for " — a maqi." 



4 " Tigh faoi thalamh " is given (in Waterford and South- East Ir. Arch. Soc. Journal, 

 xi, p. 163) as a local name for another souterrain; another is "Poll talmhan " ("Place 

 Names," p. 97). One recalls in the " Saga of Gisli the Outlaw " (12th-century tale about 

 period a.d. 930-980) how Thorgerda and Gisli were in a subterranean chamber, one 

 end opening into her hall, the other on the bank of a stream. 



5 Journal R. S. Antt. Ir., vol. xxxvi, p. 252 ; the view see Plate XX. 



6 "Place Names," p. 109, considers that this was separated from the mainland after 

 the entrenchment was made ; more likely its natural configuration led to its fortification, 

 ages after nature had " roughed " it into shape. 



K.I.A. PUOC, VOL. XXXII, SECT. C. [34] 



