Hut site, Point (Dunkineely Ed), Co. Donegal
Co. Donegal |
Settlement Sites
Positioned on a gentle rise with sweeping views across the Donegal landscape, this ancient hut site near Dunkineely offers a remarkable glimpse into Ireland's prehistoric past.
The main structure consists of a roughly square dwelling measuring 6.8 metres east to west and 4.3 metres north to south, its sunken interior surrounded by sod-covered drystone walls standing 1.2 metres high. Two upright standing stones, or orthostats, mark what appears to be the original entrance at the northeast corner, creating a gap about 0.8 metres wide between them.
What makes this site particularly fascinating is the conjoined circular structure on the eastern side, measuring 3.4 metres in diameter, which still preserves portions of its original corbelled stone roof. Though now overgrown with briars and thorns, this section reveals sophisticated building techniques; the walls were partially quarried directly from the bedrock, which forms part of the enclosure itself. Some of the roof's stone lintels remain in position whilst others have fallen inward, offering visitors a rare opportunity to see this ancient construction method, where stones were carefully overlapped to create a domed ceiling without mortar.
Leading westward from the monument, a sunken avenue or roadway, seven metres wide and half a metre deep, descends towards a large rectangular field that terminates at cliffs overlooking the sea. Whether this impressive approach was built alongside the original huts or added later remains a mystery, though its alignment suggests it held significance for those who once called this windswept site home. Compiled by archaeologist Caimin O'Brien in 2010, this survey captures a dwelling that has weathered millennia on the Atlantic edge of Ireland.