Enclosure, Millford, Co. Galway

Co. Galway |

Enclosures

Enclosure, Millford, Co. Galway

On a gently rising slope in the undulating pastureland near Millford in County Galway, a faint rectangular outline in the earth marks something that once had purpose, though exactly what that purpose was remains unclear.

The enclosure measures roughly 28 metres north to south and 25 metres east to west, defined by an earthen bank and an external fosse, which is simply a ditch dug around the perimeter. What survives is poorly preserved, the kind of feature that could easily be walked across without recognition.

Rectangular enclosures of this type are found across Ireland and can date from the early medieval period through to the post-medieval, serving any number of functions, from settlement and farming to ecclesiastical use. Without excavation, it is difficult to assign this one a confident date or interpretation. The possible entrance, estimated at around six metres wide and positioned on the eastern side, is one of the few details that still speaks with any clarity from the ground. An east-facing entrance is not unusual in Irish enclosures, and the orientation toward the slope's downhill aspect would have made practical sense for access and drainage alike.

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Pete F
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