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16 Proceedings of the Bo»al Irish Academy. 



entrenched headland, and the gra:v'e or Eanir (Ean Fliir, 'the lone man'), 

 i^f^ear the glebe-house we have Dunadeaig, a walled rock-tower, probably 

 accessible only by a plank, or a natural arch, now fallen ; and across the bay 

 to the south, at the lowest point of the shore, is a long massive rampart 

 (hereafter described) with the curious group of huts and souten-ains inside its 

 defence. The rest of the Mullet, with low or sandy shores, did not lend 

 itself to such fortifications ; and it is noteworthy that far inland from the 

 shore we have described the ring-foi-t is almost unknown. Dun Domhnaill 

 and about six other ling-forts lie from Blacksod Bay to Glencastle ; but only, 

 at the most, two ring-forts' are i-ecorded in the whole of the Mullet. 



We meet no further sites till we come to AchilL- Its ring-forts are 

 notable for the unusual thickness of their walls compared to the size of their 

 enclosure, only four are i-ecorded, and they ai-e all greatly defaced ; two are 

 nearly levelled. An island called Dunmore and a headland Dunagappul remain 

 near Doogort (0. S. 42) ; about half a mile eastward lie the Doonty sea-rocks. 

 On the southern shore at Dooega Head, is a headland called also Doonty, 

 over a cove named Gubadoon, " the mouth of the fort " (0. S. -54). Farther 

 eastward, in the Blind Sound, or Bealach-glas (0. S. 65), is an isolated fort, 

 once on a promontory, named Dunnaglas. On Achillb^ are two cliff forts, 

 Dunacurrogh* (O. S. 65), and the great and complex Dun of Kilmore (O.S.75). 



The forts south from Achillb^, on Clare Island, Caher Island, Inishbofin 

 and Inishark, are reserved for the survey of that group of islands. 



The allusions to the promontory forts in early writers down to 1200 are 

 very few and vague, save the Cuehullin-Curoi l^ends in the Diudsenchas, 

 and other works. The names CatJiair and JDun are used for such forts in 

 them as at present. For example, Balor's Prison, on Tory Island, is Cathair 

 Conaind, as well as Tor Conaind, in the Book of Leinster : Duuseveriek, 

 Downmacpatrick on the Old Head of Kijisale and Caherconree are Dun 

 Sobairche, Dun Cemmna and Cathairehonrui in the " Triads." Dun 

 Crimthann on Howth was probably not the Bailey Fort, but on the Dun Hill 

 or where the St. Laurences built their first castle at the harbour. Baginbun 

 Fort seems to have been known as Dun Domhnaill at the time of the 

 Xorman invasion. Xames like Dunnabrattin, Britons' (i.e. Welsh) fort, and 

 Doon^all, foreigners' (? Xorse) fort, show that some of these structm-es were 

 believed to have been made or garrisoned by invaders.* 



' The supposed trace on a knoU near EIIt, presumed br 0'DonoT.nn to be the fort Oileath, named 

 as 'beyond the waTes'of the Inver (Black*jd Bay) in lil", and one inEmlagh. 



-Unless the "Doon," a low shore rock on Iniskea Xorth, be a fort, I could not ]eam its 

 character. 



' Locally " Donacurroge." 



* •' Irish Triads" (ed. K-inu Meyer), Todd Lecture Series, vol. idii., p. 5. .\\so "Codex 



