April, 1891. 
THE ARAN ISLANDS. 
73 
THE ARAN ISLANDS.* 
BY PHILIP B. MASON, F.L.S., F.Z.S., ETC. 
With Illustrations from Photographs by Messrs. J. E. Nowers 
and J. G. Wells. 
{Continued from page 52.) 
This is aconvenient place in which to attempt some descrip¬ 
tion of the dims or forts. These are more or less circular in 
outline, and built up of loose stones, laid one on the other. The 
limestone of which they are constructed weathers and splits 
in more or less flattened slabs, which are easily piled up. 
The general plan is that of an inner enclosure with two outer 
concentric walls, the latter being protected by stone chevaux de 
frise covering a considerable extent of ground. No two of the 
duns are planned exactly in the same way, but the largest and 
most striking specimen is Dun iEngus or Dun Eanes (Plate I., 
fig. 1). Dun Eanes is built on the brow of the highest precipice 
in the island, 302 feet above the sea level, and the descent is 
so sheer, that the islanders are in the habit of fishing from its 
edge, with the aid of a short stick or rod, not much more 
than a yard in length. From its position on the edge 
of a cliff, there is no necessity for the completion of the 
circle of the wall, which is therefore built in the shape 
of a horse-slioe, the space enclosed by which is 150 feet 
in length by 142 feet in width. The circuit of the wall 
of the inner enclosure is the only one of the walls without 
any other opening than a doorway. The wall is 13 feet wide, 
and averages 18 feet in height; it is built up on the inner and 
outer faces of regularly shaped stones, the space between 
being filled with rubble (Plate I., fig. 2). On the inner side, 
are two stone platforms, reached by flights of stone steps. In 
this there were originally two doorways, one of which is now 
closed by the inner wall, while the open one has a width of 
3 feet 4 inches at the top, and a little more at the bottom, 
the top being formed by large flagstones piled one above the 
other. In the breadth of the wall on the north-west side, 
there is a passage or chamber. In the enclosure are the 
remains of stone houses or clogliauns. The outer walls have 
openings left in them, but the openings in the middle and 
outer walls are placed at some considerable distance apart, 
and the whole protected by the sharp stones of the chevaux 
de frise (Plate II., fig. 3). The whole extent of the sea front 
between the outer walls is 1,150 feet. 
Of these duns there are four in the large island, viz., Dun 
iEngus, which I have just described ; Dun Ogliill, which is 
placed about 400 feet above the sea level, and not far from the 
Erratum.— Page 51, line 26, for “ 48 cubic feet,” read “ 48 cubic yards.” 
