Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database GA035-038 (None)
NMR: GA 035 (None)
SM: None
NGR: None
X: 459897 Y: 752008 (IRENET95)
This small triangular promontory, measuring 35m by 30m, overlooks the mouth of Clifden Bay to the S at an elevation of 5m OD and is c. 6km NW of Clifften town, Co. Galway. Depicted on the first edition OS-six-inch map, it is defined by cliffs everywhere except the NW, where an earthen bank measuring 6.7m in width by 3.2m in height has been drawn across the landward side. Outside the bank there is a steep-sided external ditch measuring 4-7m in width, and a poorly preserved outer bank on the counterscarp measures approximately 3.5m in width by 0.8m in height. No trace exists of an entrance through the inner bank and a large gap in outer may be modern (Gosling 1993, 29). There are no recorded internal features and the site is currently under pasture.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -1125638 Y: 7075911 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -10.111776155986663 Latitude: 53.499389982172886 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Republic of Ireland
Current County or Unitary Authority: Galway
Historic County: Galway
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Fahy
None
| Extant | ✓ |
| Cropmark | ✗ |
| Likely Destroyed | ✗ |
None
| Woodland | ✗ |
| Commercial Forestry Plantation | ✗ |
| Parkland | ✗ |
| Pasture (Grazing) | ✓ |
| Arable | ✗ |
| Scrub/Bracken | ✗ |
| Bare Outcrop | ✗ |
| Heather/Moorland | ✗ |
| Heath | ✗ |
| Built-up | ✗ |
| Coastal Grassland | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
This small triangular promontory, measuring 35m by 30m overlooks the mouth of Clifden Bay to the S and is defined by an earthen bank on the landward side, and an external ditch and a poorly preserved outer bank or counterscarp. It is situated at an altitude of 5m OD.
| Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Partial Contour Fort | ✗ |
| Promontory Fort | ✓ |
| Hillslope Fort | ✗ |
| Level Terrain Fort | ✗ |
| Marsh Fort | ✗ |
| Multiple Enclosure Fort | ✗ |
| Hilltop | ✗ |
| Coastal Promontory | ✓ |
| Inland Promontory | ✗ |
| Valley Bottom | ✗ |
| Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop | ✗ |
| Ridge | ✗ |
| Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp | ✗ |
| Hillslope | ✗ |
| Lowland | ✗ |
| Spur | ✗ |
Dominant Topographic Feature: SE-facing promontory
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✓ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 5.0m
N/A
There is no dating available for the site
Reliability: D - None
| Pre 1200BC | ✗ |
| 1200BC - 800BC | ✗ |
| 800BC - 400BC | ✗ |
| 400BC - AD50 | ✗ |
| AD50 - AD400 | ✗ |
| AD400 - AD 800 | ✗ |
| Post AD800 | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✓ |
| Pre Hillfort: | None |
| Post Hillfort: | None |
The site is depicted on the first edition OS-six-inch map (1840) as a small promontory cut off from the mainland by a single bank. Site surveyed in 1984 for the compilation of the Galway Archaeological Inventory (Gosling 1993, 29).
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1840): | Six-inch OS mapping |
| 1st Identified Written Reference (1984): | Paul Gosling |
There are no recorded internal features
None
| None | ✓ |
| Spring | ✗ |
| Stream | ✗ |
| Pool | ✗ |
| Flush | ✗ |
| Well | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| No Known Features | ✓ |
| Round Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Rectangular Stone Structures | ✗ |
| Curvilinear Platforms | ✗ |
| Other Roundhouse Evidence | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Geophysics | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Quarry Hollows | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
| Nothing Found | ✗ |
None
| No Known Finds | ✓ |
| Pottery | ✗ |
| Metal | ✗ |
| Metalworking | ✗ |
| Human Bones | ✗ |
| Animal Bones | ✗ |
| Lithics | ✗ |
| Environmental | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
NO APPARENT FEATURES
| APs Not Checked | ✗ |
| None | ✓ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✗ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
No trace exists of an entrance through the inner bank and a large gap in outer may be modern (Gosling 1993, 29)
| 1: | This break occurs in the outer bank and is interpreted as modern in date. |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
Promontory defined by an earthen bank measuring 6.7m in width by 3.2m in height on the NW, landward, side. It is associated with a steep-sided external ditch (Wth 4-7m), and a poorly preserved outer counterscarp bank that measures approximately 3.5m in width by 0.8m in height.
| Area 1: | 0.05ha. |
| Total: | 0.05ha. |
Total Footprint Area: 0.09ha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SW Quadrant: | 0 |
| NW Quadrant: | 2 |
| Total: | 2 |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✓ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
| Unknown | ✗ |
| Partial Univallate | ✗ |
| Univallate | ✗ |
| Partial Bivallate | ✗ |
| Bivallate | ✗ |
| Partial Multivallate | ✗ |
| Multivallate | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✓ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Rubble | ✗ |
| Wall-walk | ✗ |
| Evidence of Timber | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✓ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| Other | ✗ |
None
| None | ✗ |
| Earthen Bank | ✗ |
| Stone Wall | ✗ |
| Murus Duplex | ✗ |
| Timber-framed | ✗ |
| Timber-laced | ✗ |
| Vitrification | ✗ |
| Other Burning | ✗ |
| Palisade | ✗ |
| Counter Scarp Bank | ✗ |
| Berm | ✗ |
| Unfinished | ✗ |
| No Known Excavation | ✓ |
| Other | ✗ |
| ✗ | None |
| ✓ | steep-sided external ditch (Wth 4-7m) |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None |
Gosling, P. 1993. The Archaeological Inventory of County Galway: Vol 1, 28-31.Stationary Office, Dublin
Atlas of Hillforts:
Wikidata:
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