Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database DU016-003001 (None)
NMR: DU 016 (None)
SM: None
NGR: None
X: 729399 Y: 736738 (IRENET95)
This long, broad promontory, marked as 'Dun Griffen' on the 1837 OS six-inch map, is situated at the SE corner of Howth Head and projects SE into Doldrum Bay at an altitude of 46m OD. Known locally as the 'Bailey Fort', Westropp (1922, 61-2) identified two separate lines of defences, the outer spanning the broad root of the headland on the NW, and the inner the point where it constricts further at its seaward end on the SE; a cashel or ringfort also stood on the SE tip of the headland, but was removed during construction of the Bailey lighthouse (DU016-003002). Running roughly NE-SW across the broad neck of the headland, the outer defences are composed of two lines of curving banks and ditches approximately 290m in length. They are best preserved to the NE, on the SW terminating at a stream. The inner bank measures 3.3m in width and 2.5m in height, while the outer measures 7.5m in width by 2m in height and its accompanying ditch measures 2.3m-3m in width and 2m in depth. The inner defences span a narrowing in the headland and comprises a broad deep ditch (Wth 9.5m; D 3.25m). When the cashel was removed from the tip of the headland an extensive midden deposit was discovered at the foot of the cliff. Westropp (1922, 61) also records a number of middens on the headland with 'charcoal....and other old fragments of bones'; he recovered a possible flint scraper.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -674121 Y: 7050797 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -6.055730462798117 Latitude: 53.364981644798995 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Republic of Ireland
Current County or Unitary Authority: Dublin
Historic County: Dublin
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Howth
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 coastal promontory is situated at the SE corner of Howth Head, projecting SE into Doldrum Bay at an altitude of 46m OD. Known locally as the 'Bailey Fort', Westropp (1922, 61-2) identified two separated lines of defences across the headland on the landward side.
| 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: 46.0m
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: | 19th century lighthouse |
The site is recorded on the first edition six-inch OS map (1837) as 'Dun Griffen'. Visited and survey by Westropp in the 1920's who records the headland as 'The Bailey Fort'.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1837): | OS six-inch mapping |
| 1st Identified Written Reference (1922): | Thomas Westropp |
| Other (1993): | Visit noted in the National Record |
A low elongated mound is shown on OS maps on the E side of the outer enclosure. A possible cashel stood on the SE tip of the headland but was removed during construction of the bailey lighthouse (DU016-003002). A number of shell middens are also noted both here and on the N of the interior close to a recorded quarry.
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 | ✗ |
Westropp (1922, 61) records a number of middens on the headland with 'charcoal....and other old fragments of bones'. He also recovered a possible flint scraper.
| 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 through the defences.
| 0: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
Running roughly NE-SW across the broad neck of the headland, the outer defences are composed of two lines of curving banks and ditches approximately 290m in length. They are best preserved to the NE, on the SW terminating at a stream. The inner bank measures 3.3m in width and 2.5m in height, while the outer measures 7.5m in width by 2m in height and its accompanying ditch measures 2.3m-3m in width and 2m in depth. The inner defences span a narrowing in the headland and comprises a broad deep ditch (Wth 9.5m; D 3.25m).
| Area 1: | 5.56ha. |
| Area 2: | 8.5ha. |
| Total: | 8.5ha. |
Total Footprint Area: 10.43ha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | Representing two lines, the outer bivallate and the inner univallate |
| NE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SW Quadrant: | 0 |
| NW Quadrant: | 3 |
| Total: | 3 |
| 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 |
| ✓ | Representing one belonging to the inner line and two to the outer line |
Number of Ditches: 3
| ✗ | None |
Westropp, T.J. 1922. The promontory forts and adjoining remains in Leinster. The royal society of Antiquaries of Ireland 12, 5276.
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