Hut site, Cullentragh, Co. Wexford

Co. Wexford |

Settlement Sites

Hut site, Cullentragh, Co. Wexford

On a flat terrace in Cullentragh, Co. Wexford, a roughly circular stone structure sits in a state of quiet collapse, its walls still standing a metre high in places despite the slow drift of tumbled stone across what was once its floor.

It is the kind of place that rewards a second look, because the dimensions alone set it apart from the more humble field shelters scattered across the Irish countryside.

The structure measures around 4.5 metres across internally and 6 metres from outer wall to outer wall, figures that place it at the larger end of what might be expected from a simple working hut. A possible entrance opens on the south side, though the collapse of the walls has made this difficult to read with any confidence. Researcher Ó Murchú, who examined the site in 2016, raised the question of whether it served as a turf cutter's hut, a practical refuge for those working the bog during the cutting season. Yet that same generous internal space complicates the straightforward explanation. Structures of this kind were sometimes used for seasonal or temporary settlement, occupied by people who needed to be close to upland grazing or other resources for part of the year rather than permanently. The scattered stone visible nearby hints that this hut may not have stood entirely alone, though whatever companions it once had have left little more than fragments behind.

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Pete F
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