forts historical ireland

A focal point of the northern midlands where the provinces of Leinster, Ulster and Connaught all converge, Longford, where history and literature, tragedy and triumph are all woven together, takes its name from the ancient stronghold of the O'Farrell family (Long Fort - Fort of the O'Farrells).

Bordered to the West by the majestic River Shannon, Longford is a county of rolling plains and picturesque stretches of water. The highest pint of the county, Cairn Hill, is only 279 m high, bu...

On top of the hill there is a double ring of stones which once retained a mound of stones. At the most northerly point of the ring there is a Passage-tomb with short passage, and a stone basin bearing faint decoration. Towards the south-south-west of the ring there is another Passage-tomb, this time with five recesses off a central chamber, and two stones decorated with spirals. The third and earliest grave is in the north-western portion of the ring, overlain by the stones of the inner ring....

Kinsale can easily claim its place amongst Ireland's most historic locations for this has been a centre of population, commerce, trade and fishing far beyond memory and record.

In its earliest days the estuary of the Bandon River gave it great importance as the river is tidal as far as Innishannon and water transport was dominant until the 18th Century. The estuary also provided excellent anchorage for ancient shipping which went in peril of the vagaries of the weather.

The t...

A fine stone fort built on a small hillock. There are three concentric stone walls with ditches outside them placed at various distances apart. Excavations have shown that the innermost wall was a kind of citadel, and was built later than the other walls; it dates to the medieval period or later. The fort was probably built in the early centuries of the Christian era. It has been tentatively identified as a seat of the kings of South Leinster. Excavations also provided evidence that Rathgal...

Duncannon Fort is a star shaped fort built at a strategically important promontory in Wexford Harbour. It was built in 1588 in the expectation of an attack on the area by the Spanish Armada. There had previously been a Celtic fort and a Norman castle on the site. The fort is noted for its dry moat, exterior walls and the legend of the croppy boy....

It has long been identified - though without any certainty - as the seat of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland from 1002 until his death at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. Coins found in an excavation of the site certainly showed that a house had been occupied inside during the 11th century, and the Annals of the Four Masters tell us that it was raided and demolished in 1116.
The site proved to have been inhabited at two separate periods, and the house belonged to the first period of...

Large and imposing hilltop ring fort. On private land....

Some 2 km further on, this time on the left hand side, but at some distance from the road, are the remains of Beal Boru, or Brian Boru's fort. Little more than the site has survived, marked by traces of earthen ramparts and a surrounding ditch. The ring fort is located on a spur of land at the point where the lake narrows before passing through Killaloe and the fort had a certain strategic value commanding the northern approached to the royal palace of Kincora. The fort is of considerable ant...

The hollowed-out centre makes it difficult to define this monument as a motte, though it may be identical with the Kill Santain or Kilsandel built by John de Courcy towards the close of the 12th century as a place from which he made forays west of the Bann. Excavations at the foot of the monument close to the river produced 13th century pottery and a carbonised branch of 13th century date. To the east, on high ground, is a fenced off area where excavations in 1973-77 uncovered remnants of Meso...

Only remains of the earthen wall to suggest former fort, but a depression in the northwest portion reveals a low lintel stone over a small opening. Through the opening is an excellent example of a soutrerrain i.e. a manmade, subetrrain structure built for purposes of storage and protection in time of attack.

The Gortaboy Souterrain contains 3 spacious chambers, connected by two - traps - low crawl spaces designed to slow down anyone attempting to get inside....