Enclosure, Fán, Co. Kerry

Co. Kerry |

Enclosures

Enclosure, Fán, Co. Kerry

On a stretch of the Dingle Peninsula at Fán in County Kerry, a small stone enclosure sits quietly in the landscape, its dimensions modest almost to the point of intimacy.

The enclosure measures just 4.1 metres across, and tucked against its north-western side is a complete clochaun, a corbelled dry-stone hut constructed without mortar, with the upper courses of stone gradually overlapping inward until they close to form a beehive-shaped roof. This particular clochaun measures 2.1 metres in diameter, barely large enough to shelter a single person. Structures of this kind are scattered across the Dingle Peninsula, but what gives this example its quiet interest is the combination: the enclosure and its attached cell appear to have survived as a complete unit.

The site was recorded by R. A. S. Macalister in 1899, placing its documentation in the earliest systematic phase of Irish archaeological fieldwork, a period when scholars were beginning to catalogue the dense concentration of early medieval and prehistoric remains that the Corca Dhuibhne region, the ancient territory covering much of the Dingle Peninsula, preserves in exceptional numbers. Clochauns are generally associated with early Christian monastic activity in Ireland, where monks or hermits would occupy small, isolated cells as part of a life of ascetic withdrawal, though some examples may have had secular or agricultural uses. The enclosure surrounding the clochaun at Fán suggests a demarcated space, perhaps a small monastic plot or a sheltered working area, though the evidence is too slender to press any interpretation too hard.

Rated 0 out of 5

Visitor Notes

Review type for post source and places source type not found
Added by
Picture of Pete F
Pete F
IrishHistory.com is passionate about helping people discover and connect with the rich stories of their local communities.
Please use the form below to submit any photos you may have of Enclosure, Fán, Co. Kerry. We're happy to take any suggested edits you may have too. Please be advised it will take us some time to get to these submissions. Thank you.
Name
Email
Message
Upload images/documents
Maximum file size: 100 MB
If you'd like to add an image or a PDF please do it here.

Advertisement