Hut site, Cnoc Fola, Co. Donegal
Co. Donegal |
Settlement Sites
Adjacent to a promontory fort at Cnoc Fola in County Donegal, archaeologists have documented the remains of two rectangular stone structures that likely date from the same period as the fort itself.
The first structure, measuring 7 metres by 3 metres, sits just 4 metres east of the northern end of the fort's landward defensive wall. Built partly along the cliff edge, time and erosion have taken their toll on this building, with portions of its clifftop wall having collapsed into the sea below. A probable entrance can still be identified on the southeastern side of the structure.
Just 2 metres north lies a second, slightly smaller stone building measuring between 5 metres by 2 to 3 metres. Like its neighbour, this structure was constructed along the cliff edge and has suffered similar erosion damage over the centuries. Both buildings appear to have been ancillary structures associated with the main promontory fort, perhaps serving as storage buildings, workshops, or dwellings for those who occupied this defensive coastal site.
These archaeological remains were first formally recorded during the comprehensive Archaeological Survey of County Donegal, compiled by Brian Lacey and his team in 1983. This survey documented field antiquities across the county spanning from the Mesolithic period through to the 17th century, providing crucial insights into thousands of years of human occupation in this northwestern corner of Ireland.