282 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



The Dun of Knockeen is a fine, well-preserved earthwork, save that 

 much of the outer fosse has been filled up, and the outer ring refaced and 

 built up in parts. The fosse remains intact, 5 feet deep at the north edge 

 and 3 feet deep in parts round that segment. It is 12 feet wide, but has 

 been defaced by a deeper and narrower modern trench to the east. The 

 furzed outer ring is 4 feet to 5 feet high and 6 feet thick, the ground of 

 the enclosure being nearly level with its summit. The rings are not con- 

 centric, being from 69 feet at the north to nearly 90 feet apart. The southern 

 part has been tilled, but is now in good grass. 



The inner defence has a filled fosse, rarely over 2 feet deep and about 

 12 feet to 15 feet wide. It, too, is nearly 5 feet deep at the bank. The mound 

 is 23 feet thick, and rises 15 feet to 16 feet outside ; some of the revetment 

 of small slabs remains round the north-east segment, and it was doubtless 

 capped by a dry-stone wall. The enclosure is about 80 feet across, but 

 slightly irregular, and is 12 feet above the outer ward or 16 feet above the 

 fields. The bank runs into an angle, the edges 63 feet and 57 feet long. 

 The castle was at the south end of the ring, its foundations overhanging the 

 bank. It was a small oblong turret ; the large oblong foundation shown by 

 the older maps in the middle of the garth is not traceable. A hollow, like 

 the foundation of another turret, is at the north end of the crescent. 1 



DOONAGH, DUNBEACON (0. S. 130). 



Driving from Schull through the bold eastern pass of Mount Gabriel, 

 with magnificent views back to Cape Clear and Sherkin, we enter a wide 

 valley with disused mines. It is sad to see that the destruction of the too 

 scanty plantations has been carried out here, the fine wood on Gabriel being 

 cut clown to the roots. We pass round the flank (seeing two earth forts with 

 fosses and bushy rings) and wind through quiet little valleys to the shore 

 of Duumanus Bay at Dunbeacon. The tall fragments of the east wall and 

 the south-west angle of the castle stand on a low, rocky knoll by the bay ; 

 they have large, plain, late windows and long bond stones at the angles. 

 Near it is a midden of shells (periwinkles, oysters, and limpets) at the end of 

 the little creek to the north of the tower. 



The Mahony tradition, like most of the assertions as to the building of 

 stone castles, seems unreliable, the forts in many cases being meant by the 

 records, and " building," as usual, being intended for " rebuilding." Dermod 

 Runtach (the reliable), chief of the Ui Eacach in 1460, had a second son, 



'Plan, Plate XXIV. 



