Dún Fearbhaí () is a stone

ringfort Ringforts or ring forts are small circular fortification, fortified settlements built during the Bronze Age, Iron Age and early Middle Ages up to about the year 1000 AD. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are ...

(cashel) and

national monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...

located on

Inishmaan Inishmaan ( ; , the official name, formerly spelled , meaning "middle island") is the middle of the three main Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of County Galway in the province of Conn ...

, one of the

Aran Islands The Aran Islands ( ; , ) or The Arans ( ) are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, with a total area around . They constitute the historic barony (Ireland), barony of Aran in ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Location

Dún Fearbhaí is located on the eastern edge of Inishmaan, facing back toward

Galway Bay Galway Bay ( Irish: ''Loch Lurgain'' or ''Cuan na Gaillimhe'') is a bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south; Galway ...

History

The fort is believed to date from the 1st millennium AD, some placing it around the 9th century. Its rectilinear shape and unusual structure have led to the belief that it is later than the other Aran Islands forts like

Dún Conor Dún Conor is a stone ringfort (cashel) and national monument located on Inishmaan, Ireland. Location Dún Conor is located at the centre of Inishmaan, at the island's highest point. History The fort probably dates back to the first millennium ...

, and perhaps contemporary with Dún Formna on

Inisheer Inisheer ( , or ) is the smallest and most easterly of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay, Ireland. With 343 residents as of the 2022 census, it is second-most populous of the Arans. Caomhán of Inis Oírr is the island's patron saint. ...

. The name ''Dún Mur'' is believed to have the same derivation as the

Cliffs of Moher The Cliffs of Moher (; ) are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They run for about . At their southern end, they rise above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and, to the north, the ...

, which are named after an old promontory fort called ''Moher'', which once stood on Hag's Head. The name Dún Fearbhaí takes its name from the surrounding area ''An Fhearbach'', "abounding in cattle."

Description

Dún Fearbhaí is a stone

(cashel) shaped like a square with rounded corners; it contains two walls and one

terrace Terrace may refer to: Landforms and construction * Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river * Terrace, a street suffix * Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk a ...

built on a steep incline, and also four sets of internal stairs. The walls are up to high and up to thick, and measure about by internally. There is a single entrance in the east, wide. O’Driscoll wrote, "A thick wall would have been necessary for larger, higher walls, resulting in excessive labour and resource costs. This was partly alleviated by terracing the walls, reducing the amount of material used. Terracing of the inner face and incorporation of steps allowed access to the top of the wall, permitting occupants expansive visibility of the immediate environs as well as a strategic advantage over approaching attackers. The vertical walls that met attackers or visitors would have been an impressive barrier that provided practical defence for the occupants, as well status."

Looped walk

The Lúb Dún Fearbhaí is a 13-kilometre looped walk across the island, named after the fort.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dun Fearbhai Aran Islands National monuments in County Galway Archaeological sites in County Galway