WioSTKOPP — The Fort of Dun Aengusu in Ini^hmorc, Armi. 23 



approaches to the forts of Pen Caer Helen in Wales' and Cadcnuiii' and Drcva 

 in Scotland." Eows of pillars of similar intent occurred in the destroyed 

 fort of Cap Sizun in France,' two Swiss forts near Laufen, Berne,* and the 

 " Bauerberge " of Mohne in Eussia." 



Irish scholars could help archaeology by searching in our earlj' literature 

 for mention of such a feature. It could, however, hardly be expected that 

 where our older writers seem to pass over our countless dolmens without 

 notice, they would have preserved mention of so rare a feature confined to four 

 of our cathairs. It is, however, very probable that a similar timber defence 

 surrounded many of our forts, and was callerl a " sonnach " ; it may have 

 filled those narrow, flat spaces inside the outer rings which gird some earth- 

 forts, like Doonaghbwee and Lisheencroneeu, in Corcavaskin; and it originated 

 the place-names " Lisatunna " and " Sonnagh."" To take a few examples from 

 ancient works : there is mention of two mythical forts ; one made by the 

 divine builder Aenghus, son of the Daghda (already noted),' " with lofty 

 sowna (stockades) ; another, " with seven walls and an iron sonnach on each 

 mur."^ When CuchuUin was pressed to fence the fort of Howth, he said : 

 " A heap of spears closes it for me." He evidently compared his warriors to 

 an abattis.' Aedh Guaire, King of Connaught, in the sixth century, built a 

 new house in a dun, and, " outside all, a sonnach of red oak round about his 

 dun."^" The breaking of such a palisade to admit the king's spear, held 

 lengthways, is alleged to have caused the quarrel of the Ardrigh Diarmaid 

 with St. Euadhan, the cursing of Tara, and its desertion. "The Voyage of the 

 Hui Corra," a tenth-century romance, tells us of yet another mythical island 

 dtm, " with a brazen sonnach round it, and a brazen net spread on the spikes 

 outside."" It is as curious to find so early a foreshadowing of spiked-wire 

 entanglements as of another modern invention, where the Slabinogion 



' " Arohaeologia Cambrensis," ser. iv., vol. xii., p. 31.5; and "Ancient Forts of Irelimd," 

 fig. 6. 



'-"Early Fortificaiions in Scotland," pp. 22.5, 226. Dreva has a side-annexe like Dun Conor; 

 botli are iti Peebles. 



3 For Cap Sizun, see " Arohaeologia Cambrensis," series iv., vol. ii., p. 287 ; and " Ancient Forts 

 of Ireland," fig. 4. 



» " Diutionnaire Arclieologique de la Gaule, Epoqiio Celtiquc," tome i., p. 122. 



" Borlase, " Dolmens of Ireland," vol. iii., p. 1130. 



« There are a dozen townlands called "Sonnach," chiefly in Coniuuiglit, and four named 

 Lissatunny ; but in field-names and compounds it is far from uncommon. 



' " Agallamh." Translated by S. H. O'Grady, " Silva Gadelica," ii., p. 3. 



"I.ebor na hUidre, "The Fairy Chariot of Cuchullin" (Siabar charpat Conculuind), Journal 

 R.S..\.I., vol. xi. (eonsec), ser. iv., vol. i., p. 387, copy circn 1106. 



3"Eevue Celtique," vol. viii. (1887), p. 56. 

 '» " Silva Gadelica," vol. ii., p. 70, " The Story of .\edh Baclamh." 

 " " Revue Celtique," vol. xiv. (1893), p. 47, "Voyage of the Hui Corra," ante 1100. 



