Enclosure, Ballynacarrick, Ballintra, Co. Donegal

Enclosure, Ballynacarrick, Ballintra, Co. Donegal

Sitting on a gentle rise in the rolling pastures of Ballynacarrick, County Donegal, this ancient stone enclosure offers a glimpse into Ireland's distant past.

Enclosure, Ballynacarrick, Ballintra, Co. Donegal

The structure forms an almost circular footprint, measuring roughly 32 metres northwest to southeast and 28 metres northeast to southwest. What remains today is a low stone boundary, now covered in moss and grass, that once stood as a substantial wall around 1.5 to 2 metres wide. The best preserved section runs along the northern to eastern edge, where you can still spot large, irregular stone blocks that likely formed part of the original inner and outer wall faces.

Time and weather have taken their toll on much of the structure; the southern and northwestern sections are now barely visible, appearing only as subtle mossy marks in the grass where the stones have almost completely disappeared beneath the earth. The grassy interior occasionally reveals stones breaking through the surface, particularly in the western half. The original entrance appears to have been on the eastern side, where a gap in the wall is marked by a stone set perpendicular to the bank, though it’s now partially hidden by fallen stones and a hawthorn bush that has taken root there.



This enclosure doesn’t stand alone in the landscape; just five metres to the southeast sits a circular house site, whilst another enclosure lies 170 metres to the east-northeast. Together, these structures paint a picture of a once thriving settlement in this corner of Donegal, where limestone bedrock breaks through the undulating terrain and ancient communities made their homes amongst the gentle hills.

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Ballynacarrick, Ballintra, Co. Donegal
54.57307499, -8.12482185
54.57307499,-8.12482185
Ballynacarrick, Ballintra 
Enclosures 

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