Westropp — Fortified Headlands and Castles, S. Coast Munster. 223 



soon after of hearing that I was right in my conjecture that a large entrench- 

 ment existed there. He subsequently got it marked on the new Ordnance 

 Survey Maps. From a later visit I may describe it more fully. 1 It is of 

 the fourth type of such structures where a subsidiary entrenched headland is 

 found inside the main defence, as at Baginbun in Wexford, and Dunsheane 

 in Kerry. The most complicated example known to me is at Dun Kilmore, 

 on Aehillbeg, where a ring-fort and two fortified heads lie within the outer wall. 

 Ferriter's Castle, on Doon Point, in Kerry, and the Great Baily of Howth 

 are closely similar. The Head lies on the edge of the barony of Decies, half 

 way between Knockmahon and Annestown, and is rather low, but with 

 some picturesque coves and arches. The name is the same as Dunbarton, 

 meaning the Briton's (Welshman's) fort 3 : I failed to find any early record. 

 In later days it appears as belonging to the Powers. In 1566 and 1567 

 Nicholas and Walter fitz Geffry Poer of Donbretayne, Donbrettan, or Donore- 

 tayne were pardoned. 3 Nicholas fitz Geffry Power died in 1602 ; at that time 

 he owned 60 acres in Downebrattin 4 ; his son Geffry succeeded. Bobert 

 fitz Morris Power of Ballyscanlan, on his death in 1605, held the same, and 

 another Nicholas Power in 1622. The Bishops of Waterford in right of the 

 see got 10s. head rent in 1578 from the vill and lands of Downbrattin ; this 

 fell to 7s. Qd. chief rent of Domnebrattin down at least to the time of Bishop 

 Nicholas in 1635. Nicholas Power died at Downratten, September 10th, 

 1636, and his son Geffry succeeded. 5 It is marked as Dunbrattin in the 

 1655 map, and confirmed to Sir John Cole in May and July, 1666. 



The main entrenchment is a fosse from 15 feet to 18 feet wide, 3 feet 

 to 5 feet deep ; on the inner side is a mound (much defaced by a modern 

 fence), rising 10 feet over the ditch, and 3 feet to 5 feet over the field ; it 

 also is 18 feet wide. The west end is uninjured, with a fine view out to 

 Kilfarrasy, Helvick, and Mine Head ; the east end has been cut off by a cliff 

 fall. From it we find, at from 81 feet to 102 feet, that the fosse is filled up ; 



1 Plan on Plate XXI, fig. 2. 



2 Not of the Welsh family, Bretnach. There were of course Welsh settlers in Norman 

 times, such as William the Welshman, a tenant of Thomas fitz Maurice in 1298 (Cal. Doc. 

 Ir., iv, p. 262). From such the fort may have been called. The custom of naming an 

 early fort after a modern tenant is still very common, notably in Kerry, where the fort 

 names sometimes have changed three or four times in a half century. 



3 Fiants 936 and 1046. 



4 Inq. Exchr., No. 5, App. 26, xxi Eliz. 



3 Inq. Exchr. Jas. I, Nos. 7, 10, and 39 ; a deed of 1593 granting Downemrattin 

 to Garret Wall in trust for Nicholas Power and his wife Margaret Wall on their marriage, 

 is copied. In the last Geffrey, son of Nicholas, was one of the jurors who found the inquisi- 

 tion as to William Power fitz Walter (so often cited) ; the place is there called " Downe 

 Brattin." 



