14 Froceedings of flic Bn>/al Irifth Academij. 



Aicill seems to have been a district at both sides of Clew Bay, including 

 the present Achill. The latter name, now derived from the " eagles," is 

 found as " Eccuil " in its first record, in 1235, and later on, "Eacuill," or 

 " Acuill " ;^ it evidently included the Curraun peninsula, to Bellacragher to 

 the east of it, over which the ancient parish of Achill extends, now, as in 

 Petty's time." To us it seems very probable that down to comparatively late 

 historic times' the island of Achillbeg was joined to its great neighbour by a 

 bank of boulder-clay, where the Blind Sound is now open, and that probably 

 Achill Island itself was also a peninsula.* 



Giolla losa Mac Firbis about 1417 wrote a poem which tells us a few facts 

 about the forts, then, as in much later times, used for residence. " Dunfloinn, 

 which none durst invade ... a white-waUed edifice " at Buninny. " Each 

 cruach (round hill, or perhaps fort) is protected by a wattle fence " near 

 Balla. The " splendid lime-white doorways " show that the custom in Kerry 

 of whitewashing a broad band round the door and windows then prevailed.* 



The later history of the districts sheds very little light on their forts. 

 The Burkes and Barretts in the Mullet, and the O'Malleys farther south, are 

 traditionally connected with some of the structures. I see no reason to 

 doubt the making of such obvious places of refuge in even very late times. 

 As I have shown in a recent survey of the Promontory Forts of Northern 

 Kerry, we have at least two such fort? — one, Duuanoir, made in 1579 ; the 

 other, at Ballingarry, in 1637." Certainly there is evidence for extensive 

 rebuilding at Dimnamo, which legend connects with the Burkes, and 

 Poeocke considered Elizabethan, and for the Dangan of Kilmore, where, as 

 at Dunvinalla,'' a mortar-built wall was constructed over apparently far older 

 worlis. On the other hand, Porth and the rest of Kilmore give evidence of 

 early occupation, as we shall see, while the impressive sense of age which the 

 two great cUff forts of Cahercarbery, on Kerry Head, suggest,* is at least not 

 weakened when we find that the recent excavations in the Welsh fort of Pen 



' O'Donovan refuses to ('.ecide if its ii:inie is derived frcim the eagles or the Nangles (Ord. Survey 

 Letters, Mayo, vol. i., p. 340). Il is Eaciaiil, or Eccuill, 1235 ; Eacuill and Acuill, circa 1570 ; 

 Aukilles, 1574 ; and Acldll iu 1584. A dialogue of Fintan and the ancient eagle of Eacuill is 

 given in the Book of Fermoy (Irish Texts, II. I. Acad.), vol. xv., p. 43. 



- " Hiberiiia Delincata," 1683, and "Down Survey," 1655. 



^ The breaking of Inis Fitae, in Co. Clare by the se^i, in about 800 (799-802), and the cutting 

 by the sea of llie narrow neck which joined Dimi'os in Tirawley to the land in 1393, are recorded — • 

 the latter by Mac Firbis (note A. F. M., 1393). There is much evidence of submergence on the 

 west coast of Ireland. 



■^ The fortitications of Dunnaglass are aarainst a now non-existent approach from the west. 



5 See "Hy Fiachrach," pp. 265, 285, 195, 255. 



^ Journal Roy. Sou. Antiqq. Ir., vol. xl., pp. 115 and 193. 



' Dunbhinneala (O'Donovan), DoonminuUa (Otway). 



^ Journ.al Roy. Soc. Anticjq. Ir. , vol. xl., p. 123. 



