Wkstropp — The Fort of Dun Aengusa in Inishmorc, Aran. 39 



appear to have seen (or at least noted) any steps in the inner fort or cither 

 of the northern gateways in the middle and outer walls. The gates, we 

 know from other sources, existed before the restoration ; but the lower 

 terrace of the inner fort (as my sketch shows) lies buried in vast heaps of 

 debris, so any steps were probably hidden. 



John Windele {ante 1854). In that extraordinary mass of rough notes 

 on antiquities and folk-lore (the life-work of one of the most industrious and 

 least-known of the Muuster antiquaries), we find a description of Dun 

 Aengusa. We strive with pleasure to rescue a fragment of the work, so 

 unjustly ignored and yet so valuable, of John Windele. It is found in his 

 Supplement, vol. i. (Mss. R. I. Acad., 12 K. 27). We condense. 



[pp. 739-40.] " Dun Aongus. It stands on the verge of the sea, high 

 perched upon the edge of a perpendicular cliff at least 300 feet in height, and 

 forms something more than a half-circle, consisting of two enormous 

 walls. . . . The breadth of the intervallum to the left 14 paces (39 feet), at the 

 east 94 paces (300 feet)." 



[pp. 740.] " The appearance of the Dun as we first approach is that of a 

 great chaos of ruins ; but as it is reached, its general form soon develops 

 itself. The upper outline of the walls is jagged and most irregulai', by reason 

 of injuries of one kind or another. The exterior surface is tolerably regular ; 

 but on the interior the face has fallen into terrible ruin ; and it is only at 

 particular points that its outline [p. 745] can be descried. They are built 

 of limestone, of moderately large stones, of irregular surface and outline, and 

 without any cement — the height about 20 feet, and thickness 12 feet; the 

 walls perpendicular on the outside, and diminishing in thickness within by 

 receding stages and banquettes. The outer face of the interior wall has, at 

 the west side, a succession of stairs, just as we find in the inside of Staigue 

 Fort. I am not prepared to assert or deny that these staircases encompass the 

 whole circle of that wall. [p. 747]. The inner area has a horseshoe form, and 

 measures along the cliff 48 paces (133 feet), and to the crown of the circle at the 

 north, 51 paces (141 feet). A table of rock, square in form, crops up near 

 the cliff above the surface at a height of about 4 feet. It is in a rude and 

 perfectly unwrought state.' In the eastern side of the inner encompassing 

 wall is the only entrance, a doorway of narrow proportions. . . Height, 

 5 feet 2 inches; breadth at top, 4 feet 3 inches [.sic]. It is covered over with 

 four great lintel-stones, which rise one over the other inwards like inverted 

 steps. The length of the passage thus formed is only 6 feet, which would 

 indicate the thickness of the wall here. The floor is now covered with loose 



' If " pei'fectly unwiouglit " means witliout chisel marks, Windele is light : but I believ? 

 fetrie to be right as to its having been "foniieJ by art." 



