18 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



(4) Recokds of its Features.' 

 Before describing the fort as it stands at present, we must examine, in 

 more detail than above, the record of its features before 1883. The reference 

 letters are as follows : — P, Dr. George Petrie, " Military Architectiu'e " 

 (1821 and 1858) ; O'D, John O'Donovan, " Ordnance Survey Letters," 1839 ; 

 F, Sir Samuel Ferguson, " Dubliir University Magazine," 1852 ; W, John 

 Windele, "Supplement," nnte 1854; C, Most Eev. Dr. George Conroy, 

 Bishop of Ardagh, " Aran of St. Enda," ante 1870 ; D, Lord Dunraven, 

 " Notes on Irish Architecture," ante 1875 ; IB, auonymoxis writer in 

 " Irish Builder," notes, 1877 ; TW, notes and sketches taken 1878. 



Inner Fort. 



Gateway. — All the above writers. Its risiiuj Lintels. — O'D ; W, " like 

 inverted steps." TW, " stepstoues in top." Views (outer face), F.W. Burton, 

 1857; (inner face), TW. Stair to north-east. — F, "On the right are the 

 remains of a flight." Terraces,' — V (map) ; F, " lower banquette " ; C, 

 " banquette on the east side " ; W, " banquettes " ; D, •' now no trace " ; 

 TW, " nearly gone." North-west Ope.—V (map) ; O'D ; F ; C ; D ; (? TW, 

 " a hole "). Stairs iujI Ope. — P, and map ; F, " one or two " ; C, " traces of 

 stairs " ; W, " a succession of stairs " ; TW, " slopes or steps." Wall in three 

 seetions.—F and map; O'D; F; C; D and photographs; TW and sketch. 

 Stone Platform.— P (map) ; TW (sketch plan). 



Middle Walls, &c. 



G/lTZWA^s.— North-west Gale, P; D ; TW, "gaps like doors." North Gate. — 

 TW, " creepy door." North-east Gate.— O'D, " much destroyed " ; Passage 

 Uadin/j to t/.— O'D (he thinks it modern); P; F; TW, "road through 

 pillars ver)' steep." Tcrraee. — P (and map) ; W ; C ; D ; TW. Fkac.ment. — 

 P (and map); O'D; D (and photograph); Wilde in "Lough Corrib"; TW 



■ The Irish tenni applied to the features of iuiU'< me — ■■ Miirclodh " a stone wall (Tognil Troi) ; 

 "Mur," a wall of earth or «tonc (Mtsca Ulnd and many other early worlu), " Cladh," fosse; 

 " Tulehin," flat summit ol a foit of the molctype ; " Inroni," the garth or enclosure ; " Fordorus," 

 the gate in the outtr enclai>iire ; " Fordonu," used for a lintel ; " Aurlunn," the slope before that 

 gate ; " Donis,'' a gate ; " Toirscch," its threshold ; " .Xiirsa," a jamb ; " Aurduinc," the ' porch ' of 

 a gate, " Erdam," a porter's lodge (as in the Kerry and Mayo forts) ; " Bodun," the ' bawn ' or 

 cattle-yard; " Ithla," the 'hagiiard' enclosure; " Faitche," the green, or gnme-field, before the 

 fort; *' Sonnach," the palisade or abattis. (See Silva Gadelica ii., p. -108, for un "Aurla.") The 

 " Sonnach " references arc given m/ra. See also Dr. Joyce, " Social History of Ancient Ireland," 

 vol. ti., pp. 31, 60. E O'Curry, '• Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish," in the introcluciion 

 by Professor Sullivan, p. 10". 



' U' Dunoran, in his notes on Dun Oghil, contrasts the good preserration of ill steps and terraces 

 with the dilapidation of those of the other forts on Aranmore (0. 8. L., p. 239). 



