Walk to Dún Dúchathair (the Black Fort)
About 3 km round trip from Kilronan · Gentle approach with uneven ground near the fort itself elevation
About
Dún Dúchathair, the Black Fort, sits on a promontory of cliffs at Cill Éinne (Killeany), a short walk or cycle from Cill Rónáin, and it is the quieter alternative to Dún Aonghasa that locals tend to send people to precisely because it is rarely crowded. Its outer dry-stone walls stand up to 6 metres high and 5 metres wide, and coastal erosion has left the fort perched on a narrowing rocky headland with the sea now on three sides. Its exact age is unknown, though it predates written record, and beehive-hut (clochán) ruins survive within the walls. There is no visitor centre, no ticket and no fence, so the same cliff-edge caution as Dún Aonghasa applies.
Highlights
- ✓A dry-stone fort of unknown but clearly ancient age
- ✓Cliffside walls up to 6 metres high and 5 metres wide
- ✓Ruined beehive huts (clocháns) inside the walls
- ✓Far quieter than Dún Aonghasa, with no ticket or visitor centre
Tips
- →There is no barrier at the cliff edge; take particular care, since the ground narrows toward the fort.
- →No entry fee and no set opening hours, since it is an open archaeological site.
- →Combine with Cill Éinne's other early Christian ruins for a Killeany-focused half day.