County: Tyrone Site name: URNEY td
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: Mr. Brian Scott, Department of Archaeology/Q.U.B.
Site type: Ringfort - unclassified
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 630045m, N 890493m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 54.761536, -7.533178
Urney fort lies on the 100ft contour, on a low hill overlooking the River Finn at the point where it forms the Tyrone—Donegal border. The site is a large ringfort (internal diameter 173ft) whose bank and ditch are well preserved. The surrounding area once contained six or seven smaller ringforts, but these have all been destroyed in the last fifty or sixty years.
Excavations were carried out for ten days at Easter 1970, the labour force being provided by pupils and staff from Strabane Grammar School. It was hoped, during this period, to open three squares, each 20ft x 20ft in the interior, and to take a section through the bank and ditch. It was not possible to complete this work due to the appalling weather conditions and the fact that tree-roots in the interior made work very difficult.
In the interior, excavations showed two shallow pits, each containing charcoal, and a hearth. The only finds from the interior were a sherd of modern black-glazed pottery, and a halfpenny of Queen Victoria dated 1863, both from the superficial deposit.
The main bank section showed an apparent one phase construction (the section is else incomplete due to the conditions prevailing), with a thick occupation deposit at the base of the bank, resting on bedrock (in this case, boulder clay). It was from this deposit that the only ‘identifiable’ find came. This was a large body sherd of coarse, black, unglazed pottery, of the ‘Souterrain Ware’ type so common from Irish ringforts.
Removal of the superficial soil from other areas of the bank revealed that it has internal and external stone facing. The internal stone facing is stepped in two areas, with a platform ca. 2ft wide running between the upper and lower steps. It is fairly certain that this platform ran the whole way round the interior of the fort. From the bank section so far obtained, there seems no reason to doubt that the facing and platform are contemporary with the construction of the bank. (i.e. these features are not part of later ‘landscaping’ the fort). It is hoped to continue excavations in July 1971.
