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IV. — Notes on some of the Ancient Villages in the Aran Isles, 

 County of Galway. By G. Henry Kinahan, F. R. G. S. I. 



[Read December 10, 1866.1 



During a recent visit to the Islands of Aran, in Galway Bay, I 

 remarked some ancient habitations, a few only of which are engraved 

 on the Ordnance Map; and, as I believe they have not been previously 

 described, it may be as well to record them. 



Baila-na-sean (Anglice, Village of the Ancient Ones). — Having heard 

 from the Rev. "W. Kilbride, Vicar of Aran, that a village was supposed to 

 exist near the centre of Inishmore (the North Island of Aran), we went 

 to look for it, and found its site about a mile N.W. of the Light House.* 

 Generally speaking, only the foundations of the ruins remain; but after 

 our examination we came to the conclusion that the village consisted of 

 Boons; Cahers; Cloghauns, or stone cells with " beehive" or arched stone 

 roofs; Cnocdns (pronounced knockauns), or beehive stone cells covered 

 with clay; Fosleac (pronounced Fusleak), or cells built of flagstones 

 placed on edge, and roofed with flags ; and Ointigh (pronounced On-tee), 

 or stone huts that have not arched stone roofs. 



The Ointighs seem to be the most recent, as they approach in type 

 to the modern cabin. Most of the Cloghauns are of a similar type to 

 those on the Great Skellig, county of Kerry, viz., they have rectangular 

 bases, which rise a few feet above the surface before they slope in to 

 form the " beehive roof." The Cloghauns on the Great Skellig are sup- 

 posed to have been built by the monks, and therefore the rectangular 

 Cloghauns on Aran may also be of Christian origin, and more modern 

 than the Cnocdns. Moreover, the rectangular Cloghauns have two 

 doorways, similar to the cabins of the present day, while in none of 

 the circular Cloghauns or in the Cnocans was more than one observed. 



In none of these ancient ruins was mortar apparent ; but this may 

 not be a test of antiquity, as in most of the old Cyclopean churches on 

 the island, and in some of those which are more modern, no mortar was 

 used. This is easily accounted for, when we remember that on these 

 islands, as well as in the barony of Burren, county of Clare, fuel for 

 the manufacture of lime has always been scarce and costly, and the 

 people at the present day generally build their houses with dry walls. 

 On referring to the accompanying Map (see Map, Plate I.), the position 

 of the different old buildings will be apparent. f 



* The easiest way to get to this village is along the boreen at the Roman Catholic 

 chapel. This lane, or rather bridle path, leads into its southern part. As the name 

 Cloghaun seems to be used for every kind of ancient mortarless stone house, I have used 

 in this paper Mr. Kilbride's names, which indicate the peculiar structure of each kind of 

 building. 



f The numbers on the various ruins are in the order in which we visited them. These 

 numbers are retained, although not in regular succession, because they are the numbers 

 on Mr. Kilbride's Map. 



R. I. A. PROC. — VOL. X. 



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