Hut site, Scarteen, Co. Kerry

Co. Kerry |

Settlement Sites

Hut site, Scarteen, Co. Kerry

On a south-facing slope between two Kerry mountains, nine small stone structures sit low against the hillside, none of them rising more than a couple of courses above the ground.

They are easy to miss, and that is partly the point. Built from boulders rather than dressed stone, these are the kind of remains that reward a slow eye rather than a quick glance, the sort of archaeology that asks you to crouch and look rather than stand back and admire.

The site lies midway between Knocklomena and Boughil on the Iveragh Peninsula, that long arm of southwest Kerry better known for dramatic coastal scenery than for upland fieldwork. The complex comprises nine structures, some circular in plan, with internal diameters ranging from roughly 1.3 metres to 3.9 metres. The smaller dimensions suggest storage or shelter rather than permanent habitation, and the enclosures scattered among them point toward pastoral farming use, the kind of seasonal activity that would have brought people and animals into the hills when lower ground was needed for other purposes. Old field walls survive nearby, lending weight to the idea that this was a working landscape rather than a settlement in any permanent sense. The construction is crude by any architectural measure, which is itself informative: these are not prestige buildings but functional ones, put up quickly and maintained only as long as they were needed.

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