County: Donegal Site name: Grianán of Aileach, Carrowreagh
Sites and Monuments Record No.: DG047–012 Licence number: 04E1281 ext.
Author: Declan Moore, Moore Archaeological & Environmental Services Ltd (Moore Group), Corporate House, Ballybrit Business Park, Ballybrit, Galway.
Site type: Hillfort
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 637307m, N 918945m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 55.016667, -7.416667
A programme of archaeological survey and monitoring was carried out at the site of Grianán of Aileach hillfort in County Donegal between May and November 2006 on behalf of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The project involved continuing emergency works at the hillfort in order to prevent collapse. This season’s work involved the deconstruction of a section of walling, including the area of the entranceway (i.e. above the entranceway and either side).
Prior to the works, elevations were drawn of the side walls of the entrance passageway. Numbering of steps and selected surface stones on the internal terraces was also carried out using a water-soluble paint. A plan drawing of the existing terraces and steps was prepared. This was used in conjunction with the reconstruction photograph guide of the façade in order to complete reconstruction as closely as possible to the original structure. The work also involved the sieving and metal detection of internal fill material, supervision of the pouring of a concrete slab and supervision of the subsequent rebuild.
None of the steps or the lower (possibly original) courses of the wall were removed. All possible original material remained in situ. All of the material removed was judged to have been 19th- and 20th-century rebuild. No evidence of the original structure was observed.
