Structure, Aghalattive, Co. Donegal
In the townland of Aghalattive, County Donegal, a curious stone enclosure sits on a rocky platform overlooking what would have been spectacular views towards the Back Strand of Sheephaven Bay, just 200 metres away.
Structure, Aghalattive, Co. Donegal
The structure consists of a roughly circular area surrounded by a substantial stone wall, measuring between 2.8 and 3.15 metres thick. Whilst time and the elements have taken their toll on much of the wall, causing significant collapse in places, remarkable sections of both the inner and outer faces remain visible, with some portions standing up to 1.6 metres high. The outer face is best preserved along the northwestern section, whilst the inner face shows more integrity throughout the southern half of the structure.
The enclosure features a carefully constructed entrance on its eastern side, where a 2.1 metre gap in the wall is flanked by two upright stones positioned about a metre beyond the outer edge, set 2.7 metres apart. Inside, the ground rises to form a platform effect, reaching heights of up to 2 metres in places, creating an elevated interior space between 2 and 5 metres from the wall’s edge. At the centre of this raised area, archaeologists have identified what appears to be the western half of a low, stone faced scarp approximately 12 metres in diameter, possibly representing an internal structure. Though vegetation now obscures much of the uneven interior surface, protruding stones hint at additional structures that may lie beneath.
The site’s defensive position is immediately apparent; it occupies a rocky outcrop with a sheer drop to the west and a significant slope to the south, taking full advantage of the natural topography. Today, forest has reclaimed the surrounding landscape of light soil and exposed rock, but originally this enclosure would have commanded extensive views, particularly to the north and west. Ruined field walls extending from the outer face of the site suggest it was once integrated into a broader agricultural landscape, though its exact function and date remain subjects for further archaeological investigation.