Hut site, An Choill Mhór, Co. Kerry

Co. Kerry |

Settlement Sites

Hut site, An Choill Mhór, Co. Kerry

In the landscape of An Choill Mhór on the Dingle Peninsula, a low ring of tumbled stone sits half-swallowed by peat, the remains of what may once have been a small circular dwelling.

The collapsed foundations trace a rough circle roughly 4.6 metres across internally, the surrounding band of stone rubble running about 1.1 metres wide and rising no more than half a metre at its highest point. That the peat has crept over much of it is part of what makes the site quietly compelling: the ground itself is slowly digesting the evidence.

The structure was recorded in J. Cuppage's 1986 archaeological survey of the Corca Dhuibhne region, a thorough catalogue of the Dingle Peninsula's prehistoric and early historic remains. A circular stone hut of this kind, sometimes called a clochán or a round house depending on its period and construction method, would have housed a single family or served as a seasonal shelter. The qualification of "possible" attached to this one is honest archaeology: without excavation, the collapse pattern could theoretically have other explanations, though a domestic hut remains the most plausible reading. The Dingle Peninsula is dense with such traces, many of them from the early medieval period, when scattered farmsteads of this type were a standard feature of the Irish countryside.

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 Hut site, An Choill Mhór, 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