Four In Ancient County Stone Forts Donegal BY R. F. G. ADAMS, M.A. (Hons. Oxon.) F.R.S.A. I. Being so fortunate, as to find my be beit:teir kno1wn wiin alone justify the fl'!iend and YOU!r Vliee,-.Pre1sddent, Mr. c!hoice of S'Ulbjeiet. P. J. McGill, on holil.dla.y du::ring a re- Ffurst of th2· four Forts is Griainian .ce1n1t stay in Ard1air1a I wias enaib~ed to of AIHeaDh, to repeat 1:Jl,e, name u.si2d vils;:iit a: numiber of .slist:iesi of gr·ea.t amtii.- in. the mon.ograph on the For·t puibquar.Ja:n: intere:sit in parit.11.cularly lIBlhed by tihe S'tataonery Office ~n f.a.vour.rub31 citrcuimstlan1ces. Having 1919; thiis itsielf b::!ing extr:act,,s from r:e1ad in so1m·e· iau1t~or.litaitJive worik of the 'seve1nty-.Eilxth annual re:pwt ;,.f ' . ' whiich the: name of author and title too Comrnis'&ioners of Public Work:.5 es,cape me, that stone forts arc• al- .in Ire'lland, 19017-1908'. The: next few m0:s1t unknown outstlde the Sourth pairagra;phs are extr.acted from rt:fuli.s Weiste'l'ln c·ountie1s, Wli"Qh the eiXception monogntph. · of GrC1anan of MLeach1, theroe il"e:f·~red The Grianiani o.f Aileaich was one to by anQtlher name', I beicattne' aillx- Qf tlhe mqst remarkable and lmportious to hia.ve, this mli!siconceiptlion cor- .ant ·Work's of it.s ~ind e.ve;r erected by rected as soon as I p~d 1a vii'sllit to the anrcilienrt Irish, 'being tlhe palia.ce Locih Doon ]a.sit ye1ar. Vi.siits to the of the Northern I:I1i.slh Kings from tihe otlher foirtS' whtLCh maike· up the sulb- e:arlite,st age of 1b!isto:rWc traldttdon down je1ct matter of thlis article. increased tQ the conunenc·ement of the 12th thlts di2snre. A siug·gestion from Mr. ocntiury. m 1101 the King of Munster McGlill giave me an, o;pux>rtundty for derno1islhed the Grti.runia.n oif Ail.11eiach, a1tay1Jng it, :anid I 1trus:t hll1at tihiis wlll and he ordered his army to briing do sQmethd.ng to put tlhe, Forts of Co. filOllll .Ali1e1ac'h to I.ime!l"J.ck a stone of Done1g·al 'on the map'. the d·emQ1is'h-ed buHcillng for every lSlnoe taklng this artd.cle in hands sack of provislions wlri<m t1hey had I 1hra.'Ve. .come acro.SiS' a reference in wi'Uh them. J .R.8.A.I, · Vol. vJ1i No. 27, which It appears n1ever afte·r to have siay·s inter a,U~a. : - .. 'IsiDa.inds, stone en-:- be·en tlhoroughly rebu11 t. , oircled, iarb'.lficla.} or natural, ·are n0:t During the y·zars 1870-75 a local so uncommon a.s was once supposed: resiide111t, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Bernard, as in Ulister, e:sp2iclally in Donegal, at htls own e~nse, retbui~t a grea:t tJhey ar:e not uncommon, but unfortu- portion of this: Anrc::·€1Ilt Stone Fort. nately dn the ~a.tt2ir county they now, lie took the precaution of mQl'!kdng in neiarlry mvari1arbly are "Ka~l Gardens" bl1aick colour t h e walls at the used to grorw cia.l)bag.s- pLwnts on; the Level at whlich he commenced th3 pl.run.its in sucm iso~ted places b~n.g rebUiU.ddng. Thie work done by Dr. more prqtected durlnig winter from Bernard was in ke:eping Witlh the uint!he sheejp and cattle than: if on tlhi~ toucihed work then rema.Lnd.ng. land. Perhaps the need for thds to 1 Thlis structure was' v€sted :ill the 491.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQxNzU3