Westropp — Larger Cliff Forts of West Coast of Co. Mayo. 25 



3 inches to the south of the plan-line, the wall extending 52 feet 6 inches 

 to the "north," the mound for 15 feet more, stoppiiig 15 feet from the 

 cliff. It may have been 150 feet long in all before the northern gully fell in. 

 It is 9 feet high, where most complete near the " southern " end, or 17 feet if 

 we include the low crag on which it stands. It is about 20 feet thick in the 

 middle, and 14 feet at the " north " end. The facing is good and regular, of 

 thin slabs of no great size ; but very little now remains, as, unlike the 

 limestone cathair walls elsewhere, there are no long headers to bond it, and 

 the filling is small and loosely thrown in, not, as is usual, carefully packed 

 behind the facing, as the latter was laid layer by layer. 



Taking the plan-line through the gateway as a conventional base, there 

 is a space (7 feet long to the wall of the " northern " guard-room), which 

 Otway shows as a second cell. The existing cell had an opening into it, 

 and is irregular in plan, the north-east corner being cut off. It is 9 feet by 

 5 feet; the door at the north-west corner opens into a rectangular "yard," 

 nearly levelled, at the south-west corner of which, adjoining the gateway, 

 are the foundations of a circular hut, 7 feet 6 inches in diameter inside. The 

 walls seem about 3 feet thick in every case ; there is abundance of blown 

 sand and broken shells ; but so far as I could find, on two examinations, there 

 is no trace of mortar. To the " south " of the entrance is another guard- 

 room, shown by Otway ; it is now so entirely overlaid with debris that only its 

 outer wall, 17 feet 6 inches long and 3 feet thick, at 8 feet 9 inches from the 

 line of plan, is discernible. At 10 feet from its " south " end lies a circular 

 hut 12 feet over all, with a somewhat square annexe, 12 feet each way (over 

 all) to the south-west side. At 15 feet from this the rampart ends at the 

 natural scarp, whence a steep, rough slope ends in a formidable precipice. 



There are no other hut-sites or ancient fences in the garth. On its highest 

 point are the traces of the ring-fort. Only the eastern and western segments 

 are traceable, and heaps of storm-blown stones from the rocky slope seaward 

 conceal the outline. So nearly as I could measure it is 75 feet over all, east 

 and west, and 63 feet north and south, by 51 feet east and west inside. The 

 walls are about 12 feet thick; and it lies about 243 feet back from the 

 rampart. 



POETNAFEANKAGH OR " POETH " (0. S. 9). 



Passing the fortified rock and unusually small promontory fort (barely 

 27 feet each way) at Dunaneanir, we go down the coast, past the end of 

 Portanalbanach, or " Scotch Port," and the glebe, till beside the larger bay 

 of Portnafrankagh, or "French Port," we reach a large headland known 

 locally as " Porth " and " Port Point," which was defended by a great 



