Satellite Imagery
Satellite Imagery
HER: Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database CL055-003 (None)
NMR: CL 055 (None)
SM: None
NGR: None
X: 485313 Y: 659079 (IRENET95)
This coastal promontory, depicted as 'Doonaunroe' on the first edition OS six inch map (1839), is situated at 'Foohagh Point' on the W coast of Co. Clare c. 3.4km SW of Kilkee. It is an oval headland of c. 0.7ha that projects W from the mainland S of Bishops Island at an altitude of 21m OD. The defences consist of two banks and a medial ditch c. 40m. Westropp also noted a low, dry-stone wall along the top of the inner bank in 1875, but this was subsequently removed for road metaling (1907, 42). Furthermore, the outer bank was pushed into the ditch at the N end and at this time was nearly levelled. The crest of the inner bank, which is 8.5m wide at the base, stands 4.8m higher than the field occupying the interior. The outer bank is best preserved to the S where it is 4.5m wide. The entrance comprises a gap in the banks and a causeway across the ditch c. 4m wide. Westropp records several possible hut-sites within the interior of the site, some of which he states are 'evidently late, all mere low mounds' (1907, 42). At the NW corner of the headland is a group of three irregular enclosures. A late oblong cottage stood near the N end while a long house with partition walls is recorded on the edge of the S cliff, and has partly fallen away. About 42m further W is another potential internal feature marked by a slight ditch, oval, 6m N-S by 4.5m E-W. A half ring lies on the cliff-edge to the SE of it. There is a fine natural tunnel directly under the earthwork. The promontory is currently under pasture and a modern track leads across the neck from the E.
Citizen Science: ✗
Reliability of Data: Confirmed
Reliability of Interpretation: Confirmed
X: -1079326 Y: 6922323 (EPSG: 3857)
Longitude: -9.695748517250825 Latitude: 52.670733490913534 (EPSG:4326)
Country: Republic of Ireland
Current County or Unitary Authority: Clare
Historic County: Clare
Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland: Foohagh
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 forms an oval headland of c. 0.85ha that projects W from the mainland S of Bishops Island at an altitude of 21m OD. The defences consist of two banks and a ditch on the E side running in N/S direction across the neck of the promontory for c. 40m.
| 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: W-facing promontory
| North | ✗ |
| Northeast | ✗ |
| East | ✗ |
| Southeast | ✗ |
| South | ✗ |
| Southwest | ✗ |
| West | ✓ |
| Northwest | ✗ |
| Level | ✗ |
Altitude: 21.0m
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 as 'Doonaunroe' on the first edition (1839) OS six-inch map. Bank and ditch marked as hachured line in second edition 25-inch map. Visited and surveyed by Westropp in 1907 who recorded the defences.
| 1st Identified Map Depiction (1839): | OS six-inch map |
| Earthwork Survey (1907): | Thomas Westropp |
Westropp records several possible hut-sites within the interior of the site, some of which he states are 'evidently late, all mere low mounds' (1907, 42). At the NW corner of the headland is a group of three irregular enclosures. A late oblong cottage stood near the N end while a long house with partition walls is recorded on the edge of the S cliff, and has partly fallen away. About 42m further W is another potential internal feature marked by a slight ditch, oval, 6m N-S by 4.5m E-W. A half ring lies on the cliff-edge to the SE of it. Westropp records a natural tunnel under this earthwork.
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 | ✗ |
None
| APs Not Checked | ✗ |
| None | ✗ |
| Roundhouses | ✗ |
| Rectangular Structures | ✓ |
| Pits | ✗ |
| Postholes | ✗ |
| Roads/Tracks | ✗ |
| Other | ✓ |
A gap and causeway c. 4m wide through the defences are recorded 27m from the N cliff
| 1: | None |
| 2: | None |
Guard Chambers: ✗
Chevaux de Frise: ✗
| 1. Simple Gap (East): | None |
The defences consist of two banks and a medial ditch on the E side running in N-S across the neck of the promontory for a distance of c. 40m. Westropp also noted that a low, dry-stone wall visible along the top of the inner bank in 1875 had been removed for road metaling (1907, 42). Furthermore, the outer bank at this time was nearly levelled, pushed into the ditch at the N end. The inner bank is 8.5m wide and 2.7m high and 4.2m wide on top. The ditch is 3m wide, and the outer bank is best preserved to the S, where it is 4.5m wide.
| Area 1: | 0.3ha. |
| Total: | 0.3ha. |
Total Footprint Area: 0.7ha.
None
| ✗ | None |
| ✗ | None |
| NE Quadrant: | 0 |
| SE Quadrant: | 2 |
| SW Quadrant: | 0 |
| NW Quadrant: | 0 |
| 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 |
| ✓ | None |
Number of Ditches: 1
| ✗ | None |
Westropp, T.J. 1907. Promontory forts in the "Irrus," County Clare: Part I. The Kilkee group. The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 38 (1), 28-47.
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