Hut site, Graignagreana, Co. Kerry

Co. Kerry |

Settlement Sites

Hut site, Graignagreana, Co. Kerry

On the Iveragh Peninsula in south Kerry, a small circular structure sits just west of the Cummeralooderry stream, a tributary of the Owenreagh river.

It is easy to overlook, measuring only about 3.2 metres across and standing less than a metre high, but its proportions and method of construction tell a quiet story about the people who once moved through this landscape.

The hut is built using drystone technique, meaning the walls are assembled from carefully fitted stone without the use of mortar, a method with deep roots in Irish vernacular building. The walls survive to a thickness of around 0.7 metres, which is substantial relative to the overall diameter, suggesting they were built to last against wind and wet. Structures like this appear across the upland and coastal fringes of Kerry and are associated with seasonal use, particularly the practice of transhumance, where people and livestock moved to higher or more remote grazing grounds during summer months. Whether this particular hut served that purpose, or sheltered a shepherd, a traveller, or a worker of some other kind, the structure itself does not say.

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, Graignagreana, 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