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Dún Aengus Dun Aengus Review

You will have to go to the visitor centre and pay your admission ticket (2 euro) before you can enter the fort. From here you have to go by foot towards the fortress Dun Aonghasa (Dun Aengus). It’s about 900 metres uphill. It will take you about 20 to 30 minutes to reach the fortress.

Dún Aengus - The Fort of Aonghasa - is located on the edge of the island on top of a 90m high sea cliff. Dún Aengus is one of the finest prehistoric monuments in Western Europe. It consists of 3 irregular concentric walls, all of them end on the cliffs-edge all designed to keep the enemies outside. There is a fourth wall that gave added protection along the West Side. At the other side, the cliffs form a natural defence. The main enclosure is horse-shoe shaped and in the centre there is a sort of natural “table rock”. The enclosure is guarded by razor sharp stones standing upright they are called “chevaux de fries”.

Its legendary owner, Aonghusa, was a chief of the Fir Bolg who are said to have been the earliest inhabitants of the island. After the Battle of Moytura they fled first to Meath and then to Connaught and settled on lands along the western seaboard, including the Aran Islands. The Firbolgs later lost the islands to the Eoghanacta of Munster.

Who build it? Why on this place? People still don’t know for sure who and when this place was build. Estimates go from a few centuries B.C until the eight or ninth century. The fort has no water supply so it can’t withstand a long siege. It’s builders can be the legendary Fir Bolgs or the Danes.

But when you stand there and look towards the fortress, you fell impressed by the huge stone walls that make the horse-shoe enclosure. And the cliffs that drop 90 metres towards the sea-level are an impressive sight.

You can find more photos on my Mysterious Dun Aengus travelogue.

Directions: Ride towards the west of the island and at the beach just follow the road towards the left.

Dùn Dùbhchathair, the black fort. Dun Dúbhchathair Review

This fort is also located on the edge of a high cliff, it’s situated at the southern side of Inis Mór. The construcion consists of a extended part which was defended by a bended wall and a “chevaux de fries”. (These are razor sharp stones and they are standing upright. It’s almost impossible to penetrate between these stones) There are still remains of stone houses visible at the interior.

There are also a series of long rectangular buildings next to the extended part of the fort, these are probably used as cattle yards in a later period. This type of fort dates back to the Iron Age and the construction can be situated between 200 BC and 500 AD.

Because archaeologists found here some pottery, they believe that it’s possible that there was already a small settlement there before the fort. The integration of the houses on the inner face of the enclose suggests that the fort was occupied in the early Medieval period (9th - 10th century).

Directions: Go from Kilronan towards the east along the see. Then you have to go via a small steep road towards the cliffs and then you will walk over a rocky bottom.

Defence system at Dun Aengus. Dun Aengus Review

When you go towards the fort from the visitor centre, you will notice on top of the hill a stone wall that you have to pass. Dun Aengus consists of 3 concentric walls and the main enclosure is a horse-shoe shaped stone wall. These walls protect the fort towards three sides.

And one side is not guarded, why? Well look at the 90 metres high cliff and you already know why this isn't defended, it's already a natural defence system.

But between the third and second wall there is also an other defence system that?s called "chevaux de fries". These are razor sharp stones and they are standing upright. It's almost impossible to penetrate between these stones towards the other walls.

You can find more photos on my Mysterious Dun Aengus travelogue.

Directions: Travel towards the west of the island and at the beach you follow the road towards your left.

Dún Eochla

This double walled fort is build close to the highest point of Inis Mór. This means that you have a clear view over the entire island from here. There are other settlements close by like cahels, stone enclosures and houses. It’s not certain when Dún Eochla was built, because there wasn’t an excavation done. But they place it in the cashel class and that dates the construction between the 6 and 8 century. But it can be possible that the current fort replaced an older one.

Today there is no evidence found of any houses in the interior, there is only a round structure build out of stones. They believe it’s linked with the lighthouse and fulfilled a signalling function.

Directions: Follow the sign on the ring of Aran, but be aware that you have to walk across some walled fields before you can reach it.

Dún Eoghanachta

This fort is located in the central west part of the island, and it’s not like the other forts build next to the see. It’s a stone wall fort that dates back to the first century B.C. It also consists of three rings of stone walls. But the outer two are very low, they can easily be mistaken with the stone walls that divide the meadows of the island.

The central construction is on his highest point 5 meter high and at the entrance (lowest point) 3 meter high. The wall is 3 meter thick and consist of 2 layers and it contains some stairs where you can get on the walls.

Directions: When you are riding to the most western point of the island, you will see a board pointing to this fort. Do the last few hundreds of meters by foot.

The 7 Churches Seven churches Review

It's the most important monastic site of the island and it’ss situated nearby the village of Eoghanacht. Although they are called the 7 churches it are the remains of only two churches (Teampall Bhreacáin and Teampall an Phoill). The other buildings were simple rooms for the monks.

The known information over (Bhreacáin) Brecan comes mostly from some phrases of a poem out the 15 century about the life of the Saint: it seems that he reached the Aran islands between the 5 and 6 century and that he destroyed a pagan idol taking his name and converting the pagan Sanctuary to a Christian monastery.

The church of Brecan is also the largest building of the complex and is constructed over many years, adding part by part. At the inside of this church you can find some ancient inscriptions.

The other church (an Phoill) is of rectangular shape and is build in the 15-16 century. This church is located in the South-west area of the complex.

The other buildings were probably used as houses for the monks.

There is a small rectangular area that probably is the burial place of Brecan. Here you can find a piece of a tombstone in which the name of the Saint is engraved.

You can see others gravestones in the area of the complex, the inscriptions ask for a prayer for the deceased person.

In this area there are some holy wells and they discovered many fragments of high crosses, some dating back to the 12 century.

Directions: When you ride to the west, you can follow the road to your right hand side when you pass the beach.