An old
ring fort on the western edge of
Inishmor(in
Irish Innis Mór) , the largest of the
Aran Islands a small chain that lies on
Irelands western seaboard.
Inishmor rises out of the sea until you hit a bank of sheer
vertical clifs on the western edge of the island. The
drop is about 100m into the sea below, hte Atlantic
bare and unhindered untill you reach America.
The island is principally composed of limestone and is an
extension of the burren.
The ring fort is in fact a semi circle, a huge limestone wall that is bounded on one side by the cliffs.
It's origins are unknown, the Norse perhaps, or else
the group of people living on the island in pre-historic times. The island is divided into a postage stamp of fields
each bordered by a low limestone wall. This speaks of the territorial nature of the inhabitants, but it might bee
a layover from the great famine.
Dun Aengus must surely be considered one of the wonders of the prehistoric world, it is one of the finest examples of a ring fort in existence and it's location is unparalleld.
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At the time of writing of this node I had not actually visited this place. I went in August of 2002 as a part of a trip to put up some new climbs on the sea cliffs of Inishmore. Dun Aengus is one of the most special places I have had the fortune of visiting. In the centre of the ring fort is a stone table which hangs out over the cliff. There is a drop of 80 m into the Atlantic below. One theory says that this table was used for human sacrifice, be that as it may, the view from this point is staggering. One looks out over the Atlantic and there is nothing else. The side of the island is quite flat so you have the impression that you have reached the end of the world. When the fort was built there was not place further to the West in Europe. You are faced with the open unending ocean.