Building, Dún Lúiche Íochtarach, Co. Donegal
At the southern base of Errigal mountain in County Donegal, beside the Devlin river and the southeastern end of Dunlewy Lough, lies an intriguing archaeological site known as Dún Lúiche Íochtarach.
Building, Dún Lúiche Íochtarach, Co. Donegal
The remains consist of a subcircular enclosure, marked by the faint traces of a stone wall that once defined its boundaries. Within this ancient space, visitors can still make out the foundations of a stone building in the western section, though it now stands only 30 centimetres high. Measuring 8 metres east to west and 5 metres north to south internally, this structure features openings in the middle of its northern and southern walls, suggesting it once served as a dwelling or ceremonial space.
The southeastern portion of the enclosure is particularly rich in archaeological features, covered by a scatter of stones that hints at collapsed structures or deliberate placement. Among these stones stands a remarkable cross slab, rising half a metre from a low mound. This slender monument, measuring 24 centimetres wide and 8 centimetres thick, bears a grooved cross on its western face with distinctive forked ends on the arms and shaft. At its centre, a small depression surrounded by two concentric circles adds to its mystique. Just south of the cross slab, two standing stone slabs emerge from the ground, whilst a semicircular arrangement of loose stones, 3 metres wide and 30 centimetres high, partially embraces the cross from the south.
Historical records from the Ulster Journal of Archaeology in 1857 paint an even more complex picture of the site, describing four circular buildings, each 14 feet in diameter, that once stood to the south and southeast of the enclosure’s centre. Though these structures are no longer visible above ground, their documented presence suggests this was once a thriving settlement or religious complex. The site’s location on level ground in wet but fair pasture speaks to its practical advantages for ancient inhabitants, offering access to water from the Devlin river whilst maintaining defensible positions against the dramatic backdrop of Errigal mountain.