Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IR0804 Glasbolie, Donegal (Lurgan Hill)

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database DG103-029 (None)

NMR:  DG 103 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  None

X:  589827  Y:  867213  (IRENET95)

Summary

Large contour fort surrounding the domed summit of Lurgan Hill at W edge of upland terrain, overlooking low-lying terrain and Donegal coastline to the W. Univallate for its entire circuit, with a total site footprint of 5.5ha. No obvious entrance features recorded. Embanked enclosure surrounding a central mound 15m in diameter and 1m high (Cody 2002). Numerous hut structures visible in aerial photographs. Rampart survives well at the S, W and N and is defined at the E by a natural scarp. The interior is under pasture. Second edition survey maps depict the W section of the enclosing elements.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -908061  Y:  7275623  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -8.157253656381883  Latitude:  54.55316214412975  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Republic of Ireland

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Donegal

Historic County:  Donegal

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Glasbolie

Monument Condition

E sector no longer visible

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

Large contour fort surrounding the domed summit of Lurgan Hill at W edge of upland terrain, overlooking low-lying terrain and Donegal coastline to the W.

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:  None

Aspect:
North   ✗
Northeast   ✗
East   ✗
Southeast   ✗
South   ✗
Southwest   ✗
West   ✗
Northwest   ✗
Level   ✓

Altitude:  147.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

No dating evidence.

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:   Embanked enclosure surrounding a central mound 15m in diameter and 1m high (Cody 2002). This mound is called Lurgancarn in the first edition Ordnance Survey maps.
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

Second edition survey maps depict the W section of the enclosing elements.

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

Interior Features

Embanked enclosure surrounding a central mound 15m in diameter and 1m high (Cody 2002). This mound is called Lurgancarn in the first edition Ordnance Survey maps.

Water Source

None

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

Cairn and embanked enclosure. Numerous hut-structures visible on aerial photographs

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

The S, W and N section of the hillfort comprise a collapsed stone wall. The eastern section is delimited by a steep natural scarp.

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   5.34ha.
Total:   5.34ha.

Total Footprint Area:  5.51ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   The enclosing elements probably formed a complete circuit.

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

Cody, E. 2002. Survey of the Megalithic Tombs of Ireland, VI, County Donegal. Stationery Office, Dublin.



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