Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IR1081 Doontrusk, Mayo

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database MA067-054 (None)

NMR:  MA 067 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  None

X:  496547  Y:  797049  (IRENET95)

Summary

Irregular shaped inland promontory enclosure with a total site footprint of approximately 6.8ha is positioned at the W shore of Furnace Lough. It projects SE into the lake and access across the neck from the NW is barred by a substantial wall, which is clearly visible on satellite imagery (SH). The remainder of the enclosure is defined by Furnace Lough. No obvious entrance feature recorded. No evidence for any internal features on the surface. Interior under pasture with forestry at the E edge. First map depiction in first edition Ordnance Survey mapping and again in the second edition Ordnance Survey maps, where the enclosing elements are shown as a large field boundary. So much so that it is possible that this is no more than an agricultural enclosure

Status

Citizen Science:  

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -1065846  Y:  7153598  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -9.574653507707229  Latitude:  53.91247550212844  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Republic of Ireland

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Mayo

Historic County:  Mayo

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Doontrusk

Monument Condition

None

Condition:
Extant  
Cropmark  
Likely Destroyed  

Land Use

None

Current Use:
Woodland  
Commercial Forestry Plantation  
Parkland  
Pasture (Grazing)  
Arable  
Scrub/Bracken  
Bare Outcrop  
Heather/Moorland  
Heath  
Built-up  
Coastal Grassland  
Other  

Landscape

Hillfort Type

Irregularly shaped promontory enclosure projects SE into Furnace Lough. Enclosed on the NW where a substantial wall cuts off a narrow neck of land.

Type:
Contour Fort  
Partial Contour Fort  
Promontory Fort  
Hillslope Fort  
Level Terrain Fort  
Marsh Fort  
Multiple Enclosure Fort  

Topographic Position

Position:
Hilltop  
Coastal Promontory  
Inland Promontory  
Valley Bottom  
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop  
Ridge  
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp  
Hillslope  
Lowland  
Spur  

Dominant Topographic Feature:  Promontory.

Aspect:
North  
Northeast  
East  
Southeast  
South  
Southwest  
West  
Northwest  
Level  

Altitude:  4.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

None.

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC  
1200BC - 800BC  
800BC - 400BC  
400BC - AD50  
AD50 - AD400  
AD400 - AD 800  
Post AD800  
Unknown  

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   None
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

First map depiction in first edition Ordnance Survey mapping. Also depicted in the second edition Ordnance Survey maps. Enclosing elements depicted as a large field boundary.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1842):   First edition Ordnance Survey 6 inch mapping.
Other (1906):   Second edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch mapping.

Interior Features

No evidence for any internal features on the surface.

Water Source

None

Source:
None  
Spring  
Stream  
Pool  
Flush  
Well  
Other  

Surface

None

Interior Features (Surface):
No Known Features  
Round Stone Structures  
Rectangular Stone Structures  
Curvilinear Platforms  
Other Roundhouse Evidence  
Pits  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  

Excavation

None

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Geophysics

None

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics  
Pits  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Roads/Tracks  
Quarry Hollows  
Other  
Nothing Found  

Finds

None

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds  
Pottery  
Metal  
Metalworking  
Human Bones  
Animal Bones  
Lithics  
Environmental  
Other  

Aerial

NO APPARENT FEATURES

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked  
None  
Roundhouses  
Rectangular Structures  
Pits  
Postholes  
Roads/Tracks  
Other  

Entrances

No obvious entrance features recorded.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
0:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  

Chevaux de Frise:  

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

Irregular area defined by a wall which cuts off a narrow neck of land at the NW. The remainder is defined by Furnace Lough.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   6.07ha.
Total:   6.07ha.

Total Footprint Area:  6.8ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   0
SE Quadrant:   0
SW Quadrant:   0
NW Quadrant:   1
Total:   1

Morphology

Current Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  
Unknown  

Detailed Morphology:
Partial Univallate  
Univallate  
Partial Bivallate  
Bivallate  
Partial Multivallate  
Multivallate  

Surface Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Surface):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Rubble  
Wall-walk  
Evidence of Timber  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
Other  

Excavated Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Excavation):
None  
Earthen Bank  
Stone Wall  
Murus Duplex  
Timber-framed  
Timber-laced  
Vitrification  
Other Burning  
Palisade  
Counter Scarp Bank  
Berm  
Unfinished  
No Known Excavation  
Other  

Other

Gang Working:
✗   None

Ditches:
✗   No obvious ditch features recorded.

Number of Ditches:  0

Annex:
✗   None.

References

No related records



Terms of Use

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and should be cited as:

Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk


Document Version 1.1