This ancient ringfort, known locally as a cashel, consists of a substantial stone wall that was originally about 2.4 metres wide; impressive defensive architecture for its time. Today, the structure stands in ruins, with a small mound of loose stones piled against the northern interior wall, perhaps the remnants of internal buildings that once sheltered the inhabitants of this coastal stronghold.

The fort occupies a dramatic and rather precarious position near the sea, with sheer drops on both the southern and western sides that would have provided natural defence against any approaching threats. The immediate surroundings offer only sparse, windswept pasture; hardly ideal for farming, though the lower slopes nearby would have provided better grazing land for livestock. This strategic placement, combining natural defensive features with proximity to more fertile ground, was typical of ringfort construction throughout Ireland.

These details come from the comprehensive Archaeological Survey of County Donegal, compiled in 1983 by Brian Lacey and his team of archaeologists. The survey documented field antiquities across the county, spanning from the Mesolithic period through to the 17th century, creating an invaluable record of Donegal’s archaeological heritage. This particular cashel at Murroe represents just one of hundreds of similar defensive settlements that once dotted the Irish landscape, each telling its own story of communities who lived, worked, and defended their homes along Ireland’s Atlantic edge.