Hut site, Mín Na Saileach, Co. Donegal

Among these remains is a distinctive triangular pen, measuring 4 metres by 3.9 metres externally, with internal dimensions of 3.25 by 3.1 metres. This enclosure sits adjacent to another structure, Mín na Saileach 8, and demonstrates the resourceful building techniques of its creators, who incorporated natural rock outcrops into the back wall rather than constructing it entirely from gathered stones.

The pen's construction tells a story of practical design and careful planning. A line of medium to large stone blocks extends from the neighbouring hut site towards a prominent upright stone, where it meets a better preserved wall section standing about 40 centimetres high and 50 centimetres wide. These walls converge to create the triangular space, with what appears to be an entrance positioned near the hut site. The builders clearly understood their landscape, using the natural topography to their advantage whilst creating functional agricultural or domestic spaces.

Just 1.5 metres south of the pen and hut site, a low earthen bank marks the edge of the terrace where these structures stand, separating them from a larger area of dry ground below. Whilst this patch of land might seem suitable for cultivation, archaeological surveys by Dr Eugene Costello have found no evidence of the cultivation ridges typically associated with historic farming practices in the region. This absence raises intriguing questions about how this particular space was used, whether for livestock, storage, or perhaps serving a different purpose entirely within the broader settlement at Mín na Saileach.