House - indeterminate date, Tullydush Lower, Co. Donegal
Situated on a south-facing slope in rough mountain pasture, this archaeological site in Tullydush Lower, County Donegal offers sweeping views across the valley from east through south to west.
House - indeterminate date, Tullydush Lower, Co. Donegal
The main feature is a sub-rectangular house site measuring 8.4 metres northwest to southeast and 4.3 metres northeast to southwest. Its low, grass-covered walls stand about half a metre high and 0.8 metres thick, with what appears to be an entrance gap, 0.7 metres wide, at the northeast end of the northwest wall. A small sunken rectangular hole in the centre of the interior seems to be a modern addition rather than an original feature.
This house doesn’t stand alone; it’s part of a fascinating clustered settlement of unknown date. A second, smaller house site sits adjacent to the southwest end of the main structure, whilst the remains of a field wall, also 0.8 metres thick, run east to west about 4 metres to the north. This wall forms part of an extensive field system that stretches across the southwest-facing slope of Bawnloge Hill, suggesting this was once a thriving agricultural community.
The wider landscape reveals even more about this ancient settlement. Two hut sites can be found 135 metres to the west-northwest, with a third hut site 245 metres to the north-northwest. Adding to the site’s intrigue, a panel of rock art lies 120 metres to the northwest. All these structures appear to be connected to the field system, painting a picture of a well-organised community that once called this mountainous terrain home, though exactly when they lived here remains a mystery.