2025:647 - Doon Fort, Drumboghill, Donegal

Four phases of conservation works took place at Doon Fort (RMP No. DG064-011), Drumboghill, County Donegal, between 2022 and 2025. The works were funded primarily by the Community Monuments Fund, but also by the Heritage Council. The conservation work was monitored by the writer.

Doon Fort is located on a small island in Doon Lough, 1km south of the village of Portnoo in County Donegal. It is accessed by boat from the east side of the lake and consists of a partially reconstructed cashel, which takes up almost the entire area of the island. It consists of an oval area enclosed by a massive stone fortification, averaging 4m at base and 4.8m in external height.  A parapet runs along the external side of the top of the dry stone, battered, wall. Access to the top of the wall is via four sets of steps. A 1.8m-wide entrance is located at south south-east. Two wall-passages are found on either side of the entrance.

Doon Fort was repaired by Donegal County Council in 1953-4. A collapsed section of the enclosing drystone wall at north-west was the focus of the project.  The collapsed section measured 5.5m long, 2m high and extended more than 6m outside the wall and into the lake.

The 2022 works consisted of the removal of the collapsed wall fabric. The removal of the collapse revealed no cut and dressed stones with the collapsed material consisting of rubble, smaller pinning stones, soil and roots. A fragment of stone spindle whorl (Reg. No. 2023:154) was found towards the base of the collapsed wall fabric, as well as a small number of animal bones and a small number of 20th-century artefacts.

The 2023 works consisted of the rebuilding of the collapsed section of wall. The rebuilt section measured 3m in internal height, 1.83m wide (at the top) and 4.2m in external height (including the parapet wall). The parapet measured 0.5m wide and 0.36m high.

In 2024 and 2025 works were carried out to collapsed and damaged sections of the the wall head and parapet. Additional stone was required and this was retrieved from the lake, under the supervision of Mizen Archaeology, under Licence Nos. 24E0956, 21D0075 and 21R0187.  The work to the wall head was carried out without using mortar. Slight adjustments were also made to the flight of stone steps to the north-east of the entrance.