Enclosure, Ballynacarrick, Ballintra, Co. Donegal
In the townland of Ballynacarrick near Ballintra in County Donegal, a peculiar earthwork sits in an unexpectedly soggy patch of ground.
Enclosure, Ballynacarrick, Ballintra, Co. Donegal
This subcircular enclosure, measuring roughly 18 metres east to west and 17 metres north to south, stands out from its neighbours precisely because of its waterlogged location. Whilst most enclosures in the area sensibly occupy dry ground or elevated terraces, this one has been deliberately placed in rough, damp pasture thick with rushes, with a limestone terrace rising immediately to the northwest and a ridge watching over it from about 50 metres to the south.
The enclosure’s structure tells a tale of careful construction despite its challenging setting. Its northwestern half is the best preserved, featuring a low earthen bank about 2.5 metres wide that rises to around 40 centimetres on the inside and 60 centimetres on the outside. Beyond this lies a broad, flat-bottomed fosse, essentially a defensive ditch, spanning 3 to 3.5 metres wide and reaching depths of up to half a metre. Remnants of an outer bank, once 3.5 metres wide and nearly half a metre high, can still be traced beyond the fosse. The southeastern portion, however, has largely surrendered to the wet conditions; here the fosse becomes indistinct as it merges with the waterlogged, rush-choked ground, and the outer bank has vanished entirely.
The interior presents an intriguing contrast between its northern and southern sections. The northern third sits on relatively firm, dry ground, whilst the southern portion becomes progressively wetter and more treacherous underfoot. A curious semicircular rise, about 2.5 metres across and curving from west-southwest to northeast, occupies the northern half of the interior, though its purpose remains a mystery. Why ancient inhabitants chose this particularly damp spot for their enclosure, when drier alternatives were readily available nearby, continues to puzzle archaeologists studying the site.





