Hut site, Tuar Sáilín, Co. Kerry
Co. Kerry |
Settlement Sites
On the lower southern slopes of Coomacarrea, a mountain in south-west Kerry, a small circle of stones sits partly swallowed by gorse and rushes.
It is easy to overlook, which is perhaps why it survives at all. The structure is just 2.1 metres in diameter, its enclosing wall still standing around 0.6 metres high and roughly 0.75 metres thick, enough to make out the deliberate intention of a shelter rather than a random scatter of field clearance.
This is a hut site, a category of small stone enclosure found widely across the Irish uplands, typically associated with seasonal pastoral activity, though some examples are considerably older. The Kerry landscape is particularly dense with such remains, the product of centuries of transhumance, the practice of moving livestock to higher ground during summer months, and the temporary shelters that practice demanded. Here, the location makes a certain practical sense: the south-facing aspect would have offered some protection from prevailing weather, and the site overlooks the valley of the Owroe River below, giving a clear line of sight across the grazing land.