Western Stone Forts
Property names are listed in the language in which they have been submitted by the State Party.
Ireland (Europe and North America) | |
Date of Submission: | 28/09/1992 |
Category: | Cultural |
Submited by: |
National Monuments & Historic Properties Service |
Coordinates: | Western Ireland |
Ref.: | 305 |
Description
There are up to forty large stone forts spread throughout the western counties of Ireland. They span a period of time from the Bronze Age through to the Medieval Period. The forts are of dry-stone construction,with massive walls of large quarried blocks of stone. The forts display a variety in both form and location. They can be found on hilltops, plains or perched on a cliff edge as at Dun Aonghasa on the westernmost extremities of Europe. They vary also from single to triple enclosures with a variety of assiociated structures and field systems. However, what they have in common is the massive nature of their masonry.