Hut site, Scarteen, Co. Kerry

Co. Kerry |

Settlement Sites

Hut site, Scarteen, Co. Kerry

A field boundary runs straight into this small circular structure near Scarteen in south-west Kerry, which says something quietly telling about the relationship between the living and the long-abandoned.

The boundary did not stop or detour; it simply kept going, absorbing the older remains into the working logic of a later landscape. The hut site sits within a field system, and that context, the pairing of dwelling with enclosure, is itself a clue to how people once organised both their lives and their land.

What survives is a circular hut roughly five metres in diameter, its walls partially collapsed but still legible, standing to around 0.7 metres in height and measuring about 0.6 metres thick. Circular stone hut sites of this kind are a recurring feature of the Irish archaeological landscape, particularly in Kerry, where they are often associated with early medieval settlement or with seasonal pastoral activity. They are modest structures by any measure, built for shelter and function rather than permanence, yet the walls of this one have endured long enough to be recorded, photographed, and mapped as part of the broader field system in which it stands. The precise date of its construction is not known, but its form and setting place it within a long tradition of rural habitation in the south-west.

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, Scarteen, 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