Hut site, An Baile Mór, Co. Donegal
On the summit of Slieve League, near the western edge of the mountain ridge, sits the remnants of an ancient hut site that offers a glimpse into Ireland's penitential past.
Hut site, An Baile Mór, Co. Donegal
This modest circular structure, measuring roughly 2.7 by 1.8 metres internally, is one of three such dwellings found in this elevated location in An Baile Mór, County Donegal. What remains today are the lower courses of its drystone walls, standing about a metre high with walls a metre thick, whilst the doorway that once faced west has long since collapsed.
The hut doesn’t stand alone in its mountain solitude; it forms part of a larger religious landscape that speaks to centuries of pilgrimage and prayer. Approximately 60 metres to the east lies Hugh Mac Brick’s Church, whilst the immediate vicinity contains an impressive collection of 26 penitential cairns. These stone mounds, built by pilgrims as acts of devotion, surround the three hut sites and create a sacred geography across this windswept summit.
Together, these structures paint a picture of Slieve League as more than just a spectacular cliff face overlooking the Atlantic. The mountain served as a significant site for religious retreat and contemplation, where the faithful would construct temporary shelters whilst undertaking their spiritual journeys. The surviving stonework, documented by archaeologist Caimin O’Brien in 2010, provides tangible evidence of how Ireland’s dramatic landscapes have long been intertwined with expressions of faith and endurance.





