74 
THE ARAN ISLANDS. 
April, 1891. 
highest point of the island (Plate II., fig. 4). Dim Ogliill and 
Dun Onacht (Plate III., fig. 5) are in excellent preservation. 
The walls of the latter dun are 15 feet in thickness, and its 
longest diameter is 94 feet. Of the fourth dun, Doo Caher 
(Plate III., fig. 6), or the Black Fort, I have already made some 
mention when speaking of the first settlement of the Firbolgs, 
at a date which tradition places about 8,000 years ago. This 
structure is also placed on the edge of a beetling and lofty 
cliff, and to all appearance is considerably older than the others, 
the age of which cannot be much less than 2,000 years. While 
the stones of Dun fEngus, Dun Ogliill, and Dun Onacht retain 
their colour and the sharpness of their edges, those of the 
Black Fort are much blackened, and give the impression of 
immense antiquity. There is a look of mystery about this struc¬ 
ture, flanked as it is by the remains of an extensive settlement 
of stone houses, or Firbolgic city, in its decay, wanting in the 
other three, which almost look as if they had been built 
within living memory. 
On the middle island there are two duns. One, Dun Con¬ 
nor (Plate IV.. fig. 7), or Conchovar, is very large and perfect. 
Of the other I know nothing except that I saw it from the 
sea, as the weather never permitted me to land on this island. 
On the southern island may be seen the remains of a dun, 
in the centre of which are the ruins of a mediaeval fortress 
called Furmina Castle. 
I have several times mentioned the cloghauns, or stone 
dwellings, the remains of which are scattered over the island. 
These are low stone structures of two kinds, the earlier ones 
being little more than sleeping places roofed by a flat stone, 
in which it is impossible to stand upright. Of the second, or 
beehive houses (Plate IV., fig. 8), there is still one perfect 
specimen to be seen by clambering over a succession of stone 
walls. This is a circular erection, with a roof constructed of 
circular layers of stone, laid with their edge projecting on 
their inner sides, and repeated until the space between them 
can be closed by a single stone. No doubt the roof was 
made weather-tight by placing sods of earth on the stones. 
The height of this is sufficient to allow of an upright position, 
but the only means of entrance is by creeping on the hands 
and knees. Near it is still to be seen a heap of broken shells, 
the contents of which have been used for food, a so-called 
kitchen midden. It is said that such houses were inhabited 
here until the commencement of this century. 
At the present time these venerable relics of antiquity are 
in a comparatively good state of preservation; the great 
danger menacing them is that .of rabbits. Babbits are not 
very numerous in the islands, and the natives, when digging 
up their burrows, are apt to be regardless of other considera- 
