2 2 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



examination of the Mayo coasts from Ballina to the Mullet and of Achill 

 Island and Achillbeg to try by a wider study of the local archaeology to 

 throw light on the remains here described. 



It seemed, at first, well to give these coast results here in extenso ; but, 

 as I hope to publish them fully in the Journal of the Royal Society of 

 Antiquaries of Ireland, to which I have already given my survey of north 

 Mayo, and as I have described the chief cliff forts fully in these Proceed- 

 ings last year, 1910, I will not further lengthen an already full section 

 of the Survey. 1 



Rude Stone Monuments. 



The present survey has had rarely to record any remains more primitive 

 in character than the forts and huts. The coast of Mayo (especially near 

 Ballycastle, Duncarton, and Binghamstown) presents examples of circles 

 and alignments of low stones, rounded and weathered out of all shape, 

 evidently of the remotest antiquity, some perhaps even Neolithic. Dolmens 

 are scarce; an interesting type (spectacle-like in plan), with two small circles 

 or ovals, and a large cist between, occurs on Slievemore in Achill, and another 

 (a long somewhat oval enclosure with a smaller one at each end) lies between 

 Ballycastle and Dunfeeny. Mr. Bald, when designing the road through 

 Glencastle, would not divert it even for a few feet to spare a fine dolmen in 

 that valley. One of the stones of another monument there — the reputed 

 grave of the giant Domnall dual buidh — was destroyed about 1839. The 

 monuments on the sandhills of the Mullet I reserve for the succeeding 

 section. Small circles of standing stones occur near Porteen (5 feet across) 

 and Glengad, on Broadhaven (17 feet across). The spectacle-dolmen on 

 Slievemore had two ancient tracks leading to it at right angles, now called 

 " Cladh Lochlannaeh " or Danes' Ditch. 2 At the end of the western, 380 feet 

 away from the eastern, is a curious monument called a "cromlech-tumulus" or 

 chambered mound, but really a multiple clochdn or hut. The " Pagan 

 cemetery," 500 feet from the cathair near the border of the Bal of Dookinelly, 

 seems to have consisted of two oblong chambers lying north-east and south- 

 east, kerbed by lai'ge blocks, now unfortunately in course of removal and 

 nearly all gone; but the sockets (from which they were raised, after so many 

 ages) preserve the plan. The north-western cell is about 6 feet wide, and 

 about 23 feet 6 inches long. It has two compartments — the northern 5 feet 

 6 inches, the southern 12 feet 9 inches, divided by a row of three thin slabs 

 which hardly rise over the sward. The eastern cell is 6 feet inside and 



1 For a list of antiquities in West Murrisk, see note at the end. 



2 They appear to lie old tracks in the hollows of which richer soil settled and brighter herbage 

 sprang up. Many occur on these islands without the name being attached to them. 



