Hilltop enclosure, Carrowmore or Glentogher, Co. Donegal
On a small hill overlooking the boggy mountain terrain of Carrowmore Or Glentogher in County Donegal sits an ancient stone enclosure, its collapsed walls still tracing an irregular circle roughly 66.5 metres across the landscape.
Hilltop enclosure, Carrowmore or Glentogher, Co. Donegal
The structure follows the natural contours of the hilltop, with walls that have weathered centuries of Irish weather yet remain clearly visible against the heather and grass. While there’s no obvious formal entrance, three gaps punctuate the stonework; one to the south and another to the north may be relatively recent breaks, but the third, nestled between natural rock outcrops on the southwestern side, could well be original.
The enclosure commands impressive views across the surrounding countryside, particularly to the north and south, making it an ideal spot for keeping watch over the valley below. Outside the main walls on the southwest side, stone foundations hint at additional structures, including what appear to be two small rectangular sheep folds, suggesting the site may have seen various uses throughout its long history. Just 20 metres to the east-southeast, at the base of the slope, stands a wedge tomb, indicating this hilltop held significance for the area’s inhabitants across multiple periods.
Archaeological surveys have documented this site since at least 1983, when it was included in the comprehensive Archaeological Survey of County Donegal. The enclosure’s strategic position, combined with its proximity to the wedge tomb, paints a picture of a landscape that has been important to local communities for millennia, from prehistoric times through to more recent agricultural use, when shepherds may have sheltered within its ancient walls whilst tending their flocks on the mountainside.





