180 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



headland, about 110 to 120 feet high,' to the south of the valley extending 

 from Kilronan to the south-east, and is a conspicuous object from Dun Oghil 

 and the central upland of the island. Its site is remarkable, the strata haN-ing 

 foimed two arched curves to either side ; the sea di-illed caves through these 

 till the arches collapsed, originating two long bays, with a slightly hollow 

 headland between ; the hollow can be traced inland for a considerable 

 distance lietween the two evirved ridges. Tlie N-iew of the fort from the head- 

 lands or bay-heads to either side is very impressive, for (though scarcely a 

 third of the height, " oOO feet," stated by O'Douovan in the Ordnance Survey 

 Letters) the clifl" on which it stands is peiijendicular or overhanguig.' The 

 rocks, flark grey, black in the sliadow, are formed of huge strata of limestone, 

 practically level, their seams often marked and their darkness relio\ed by 

 close-jjacked rows of sea-gulls. Tlie boom of the waves into the gi-eat caverns 

 can \ye heard through the i-ock inland with startling effect 



We first meet with an abattis,' formed of low stone slabs, set upright, in 

 crannies of the rock, and far more passable anil less ragged and worn than 

 those at Ballykinvarga or Dun Aengusa. There is hardly any earth, save in 

 the bottom of the lioUow, and that, usually, 6 or 8 inches deep, and a mass of 

 sea-jiink. The liaml in the hollow varies from 114 to 126 feet, the last 

 Iving through the middle, Ijcside the winding path.' The latter, a zigzag 

 Kind of green sea-pink, is probably of late origin, as it leads up to the intact 

 wall, and the entrances were far to either side. No tall pillars occur, though 

 several such, as regular as if cut to the square, lie just outside it ; one 7 feet 

 long and exactly a foot square, with straight ends, is a surprising piece of 

 nature's work, square and fair as a timber beam. The wall is of rude and 

 altogether poor and small slab masonry, bulging in and out, like the middle 

 rampart of Dun Aengusa, overhanging its l>ase in many places, and sorely 

 needing the modern buttresses of the i-estorers. It is over 18 feet high at 

 the head of the path, and overhangs 18 inches. Theie are set slabs and 

 l>erhaps hut sites among the blocks, but the age of the huts is probal>ly 

 vcrj- late, llie aliattis extends 70 to 80 feet eastward past the end of the 

 bay, as if the fort had once been wider ; or at least the wall may have stooil 

 on the actual landward end of the heaiUand, and the ground of the approach 

 have l;een protectt'd along the cliffs. 



' TliU i(>prvxiniaUqn is l>a»o<l on pbolograplu ; taking (he fort wall as 20 ft-et, it gives 120 feut 

 for tlie cliff: taking a man as C feet, it gives over 110 feet for the height. - Plate V., fig. 1. 



'See Loril Diinraven's " Xotes on Iriah Architecture" (1875), plate vi. The only detailed 

 view, and %t unfortunately partly defaced, of the fort before the restoration. In later times, so far 

 as I know, the only views published are those (by present writer) by Dr. A. Guebhard, " Camps 

 el Enceintes" (Congris Prehistorique, iii.), pp. 999 and 1017. 



•This was noted by Peine as " a serpentine way difficult to trace" ("Military Architecture 

 of IrilanJ," jifej.., R.l..\., p. 6.5). 



