Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database GA009D010 (None)
NMR: GA 009 (None)
SM: None
NGR: None
X: 450258 Y: 764417 (IRENET95)
This promontory fort, known locally as ÇD–in'n' is recorded on early OS six-inch maps as ÇDooneenapisha' (little fort of the peas) (Westropp 1914, 333). It was once a long narrow headland but is now a stack lying 30m offshore at E end of Inishshark off the W coast of Co. Galway at an altitude of 4m OD. The summit measures approximately 55m by 10m, and it was originally joined to the mainland at its S end. While the site was not visited by Westropp, he does note that the enclosing elements were suffering from erosion. Traces of an earthen bank survive to the S running for at least 9m, while an external ditch (Wth. c. 4.5m) is also present at the extreme end of the island. Gosling notes that Marcus Casey records remnants of a low bank along the W edge of the promontory running for c. 24m with a height of 0.6m, and this is visible on satellite imagery (SH).
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -1142459 Y: 7096294 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -10.262885209577627 Latitude: 53.60816410073957 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Republic of Ireland
Current County or Unitary Authority: Galway (Inishark)
Historic County: Galway
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Inishark
Heavy coastal erosion
| 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 possible coastal promontory fort has been eroded into an offshore stack at E end of Inishshark at an altitude of 4m OD. Measures approximately 55m by 10m, it was once joined to the mainland at its S end. Traces of an earthen bank survive to the S running for at least 9m, while an external ditch is also present at the extreme end of the island
| 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: The site is overlooked by cliffs to the W
| North | ✓ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✗ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 4.0m
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 |
This promontory fort, known locally as ÇD–inn' is recorded on early OS six-inch maps as ÇDooneenapisha' (little fort of the peas) (Westropp 1914, 333). While the site was not visited by Westropp, he does note the remains of enclosing elements suffering from erosion from the mainland.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1840): | OS six-inch mapping |
| 1st Identified Written Reference (1914): | Thomas Westropp |
| Other (1984): | Visit recorded in National Record |
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 | ✗ |
There are no recorded entrances. The island was once joined to the mainland at its S end. This is where the site was accessed.
| 0: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
Traces of an earthen bank survive to the S running for at least 9m, while an external ditch (Wth. c. 4.5m) is also present at the extreme end of the island. Gosling notes that Casey records remnants of a low bank along the W edge of the promontory running for c. 24m with a height of 0.6m
| Area 1: | 0.04ha. |
| Total: | 0.04ha. |
Total Footprint Area: 0.04ha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SW Quadrant: | 1 |
| NW Quadrant: | 0 |
| Total: | 1 |
| 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 |
| ✓ | None |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None |
Gosling, P. 1993. The Archaeological Inventory of County Galway: Vol 1, 28-31.Stationary Office, Dublin
Westropp, T.J. 1914. Promontory forts of the Islands of Connacht. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 44, 333.
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