forts historical ireland

Durlas Eile (strong fort of Eliogarty) , now anglicised to Thurles, sits astride the river Suir. Like Nenagh and Clonmel it owes its development to the Norman Butlers. Remains of two of their fortresses survive - the 15th century tower house guarding the bridge and, at the other end of the square and hidden behind shops, the one-time home of lady Thralls , mother of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond....

This site was regarded as one of the most potentially significant sites in the entire area. A Promontory Fort is essentially a defensive structure and they have been dated to the Early Iron Age. This one consists of an extensive and very well preserved complex of earthworks with wide views of Kinvara Bay.

The tomb consists of a simple chamber, with sides and back formed of large single stones, capped with a roofstone. The smaller field stones on top are perhaps remains of the original e...

A fine stone fort built on a small hillock. There are three concentric stone walls with ditches outside them placed at various distances apart. Excavations have shown that the innermost wall was a kind of citadel, and was built later than the other walls; it dates to the medieval period or later. The fort was probably built in the early centuries of the Christian era. It has been tentatively identified as a seat of the kings of South Leinster. Excavations also provided evidence that Rathgal...

A ringfort with a clay wall four feet high and lined with stones. Near the south side are the foundations of a beehive hut. The original entrance was probably on the west, and five stones still stand outside. Inside is an Ogham stone with tie inscription D....A.... AVI DALAGNI later superseded by EQQEGGNI MAQI MAQI-CARRATTINN....

This fort dates back to the Iron age and is a fascinating example of a promontory fort. There is a visitor centre which presents a ten minute audio visual display on the history of the fort....

Ned's Point Fort built in 1812 and remodelled in 1896 is one of the forts built by the British in the last century to defend the area from inavasion. These forts were described by Churchill as 'the sentinel towns of the western approaches'. Almost completely destroyed it was purchased by the local council and has been restored to its former condition....

Access by foot via a forestry car park signposted to the left off the N18 road between Newmarket-on-fergus and Dromoland. The famous iron age ring fort of Mooghaun, 'one of our most remarkable antiquities. It has three great stone walls of which the outermost, oval in outline, measures 450 m x 30 m' - O Riordain, 1942. It enclosed 18 hectares....

The Redoubt on Windmill hill, site of a 17th century star-shaped artillery fort. The moat, rampart walls and the remains of a swivel gun are still visible. Superb panorama of Enniskillen, the River Erne and Portora Royal School from the rampart....

It has long been identified - though without any certainty - as the seat of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland from 1002 until his death at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. Coins found in an excavation of the site certainly showed that a house had been occupied inside during the 11th century, and the Annals of the Four Masters tell us that it was raided and demolished in 1116.
The site proved to have been inhabited at two separate periods, and the house belonged to the first period of...

Although ring-forts of earth and stone had their origins in pre-history, possibly in the Bronze Age, this type of enclosed settlement continued in use for a very long time and became very numerous in the early Christian period. Some, indeed, were rebuilt or extended in the Middle Ages as defensible homesteads even though by that time mortared castles and tower-houses dominated the countryside. Cahermacnaghten, 4 miles east-north-east of the spa resort of Lisdoonvarna, was occupied as late...