ABSTRACT
A promontory fort is a fortified coastal headland or sea-girt promontory of land. The seaward sides are naturally defended by a cliff while one or more straight or curved ramparts of earth or stone, with accompanying ditches, protect the landward side. The main purpose in using a headland for fortification was to take advantage of the natural defense provided by a vertical cliff face. The location of these forts predicated engagement with the sea and maritime activity for their occupants. Many of them incorporate the Irish word dún (fort) in their name. Over 350 promontory forts have been identified on the Irish coast of which just nine have been the subject of archaeological excavation. The first scientific excavation of a promontory fort was carried out at Larribane, County Antrim in 1936 with a subsequent season of excavation in 1962. This was followed by excavations at Dunbalor on Tory Island, County Donegal in 1949, at Dalkey Island, County Dublin between 1956 and 1959 and by three excavations at the promontory forts of Carrigillihy, Dooneendermotmore, and Portadoona, County Cork in 1952. Dunbeg, County Kerry was excavated in 1981 and Doonagappul and Doonamo, County Mayo in 1999. Much of what is known about promontory forts is based on the pioneering work of Thomas Johnson Westropp who, between 1898 and 1922, visited and recorded 195 sites primarily in the west and southwest of Ireland and published twenty papers dealing with his findings. As late as the end of the twentieth century archaeologists tended to classify promontory forts as a sub-class of the less numerous inland hillforts.
