House - indeterminate date, Rockhill (Cavangarden Ed), Co. Donegal
On a limestone terrace in Rockhill, County Donegal, the remains of what appears to be an ancient house offer a glimpse into Ireland's rural past.
House - indeterminate date, Rockhill (Cavangarden Ed), Co. Donegal
The rectangular structure, measuring 8 metres east-southeast to west-northwest and 6.5 metres wide, sits on a natural platform bordered by a low rocky scarp to the north. From this elevated position, the land drops about a metre to a flat expanse of rush-grown ground that stretches 100 metres to the riverbank, whilst to the south, the landscape rises gradually through a series of limestone terraces. A spring well lies just 10 metres to the west at the base of the scarp, suggesting this spot was deliberately chosen for its access to fresh water.
The house’s outline is still clearly visible, defined by sod-covered stone banks that once formed walls between 1 and 1.5 metres thick and now stand 30 to 60 centimetres high. The eastern, southern, and western walls remain relatively well preserved, with the southwest corner being particularly substantial as it shares a boundary with a small rectangular enclosure. The northern side, however, aligns with the natural rocky scarp and shows more deterioration, with a shallow depression measuring 2.8 metres by 1 metre visible along its inner edge. A narrow gap, less than a metre wide, punctuates the eastern wall just south of centre, likely marking the original entrance.
Perhaps most intriguingly, beneath this possible dwelling lies a cave that was adapted to serve as a souterrain, one of those mysterious underground passages that dot the Irish landscape. Two circular enclosures can be found upslope, about 100 metres to the southwest and 70 metres to the south-southwest respectively, hinting at a broader settlement pattern in the area. Whilst the exact age of these structures remains uncertain, their construction methods and the presence of the souterrain suggest they could date anywhere from the early medieval period onwards, when such underground storage chambers were commonly built beneath or near Irish homesteads.