Hut site, Mín Na Saileach, Co. Donegal

Hut site, Mín Na Saileach, Co. Donegal

Tucked into the landscape of Mín na Saileach in County Donegal, this modest rectangular hut site offers a glimpse into Ireland's past dwelling structures.

Hut site, Mín Na Saileach, Co. Donegal

The remains, measuring approximately 4.2 metres by 3 metres externally, sit just 17 metres southwest of another hut site in the area. Built against a southern slope for natural shelter, the structure’s interior dimensions of 2.3 metres by 1.2 metres would have provided a compact living space for its former inhabitants.

The construction tells its own story of resourceful building techniques; the northern and western walls, standing at about 20 centimetres high and 40 centimetres wide, were crafted from a combination of stone and sods, materials readily available in the Donegal landscape. The builders oriented the structure along an east-west axis, with the entrance positioned at the eastern end, likely to catch the morning sun whilst offering protection from prevailing westerly winds.



What makes this site particularly intriguing is its strategic placement beside a stream, ensuring a reliable water source for daily needs. Documented by Dr Eugene Costello in his archaeological surveys of the region, this hut site forms part of a broader pattern of settlement in the area, with multiple structures suggesting a once-thriving community that made clever use of the natural topography for both shelter and resources.

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Costello, E. 2016 Upland transhumance practices in Ireland, and their role in post-medieval settlement and society, c.1550-1900 AD. Unpublished doctoral thesis, NUI Galway. Costello, E. 2020 Transhumance and the Making of Ireland’s Uplands, 1550-1900. Woodbridge. Boydell.
Mín Na Saileach, Co. Donegal
54.74470505, -8.68168288
54.74470505,-8.68168288
Mín Na Saileach 
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