On a high sea cliff on an island 20 miles off the coast of western Ireland, there is a place called Dún Aonghasa. Picture this: you walk through a passage in an ancient stone wall. On the other side, the stony ground runs level toward a gray sea in the distance. Then you notice the edge, a sharp crease where the stone drops off. As you approach carefully, there are no guardrails–just a 300 ft. cliff between you and the sea below.
Dún Aonghasa is a prehistoric stone fort that was first inhabited over 3000 years ago. It’s one of the best examples of a Bronze Age/Iron Age hill fort anywhere in Europe. It’s a great place to visit not just for the history, but also for the sweeping coastal views. The site is located on Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands, which are a group of rocky islands along Ireland’s western coast.
Ring Fort
The design of a prehistoric ring fort is pretty simple: go to the top of a hill, build a circular wall, and now you have a fort! The walls of Dún Aonghasa are made of dry stacked stones arranged into three rings. Parts of the walls have been restored, but the overall layout has remained unchanged. Except that parts of the fort have fallen into the sea over thousands of years.
Cliffs of Inis Mór
Speaking of the sea, it’s about 300 ft. below you at Dún Aonghasa. The view from the cliffs is a dramatic and sweeping panorama. It makes you feel like you’re at the edge of the world. And there are no fences, so please be careful! It’s worth the hike up to this starkly beautiful vantage point even if you’re not a history buff.
Chevaux-de-frise
Stacked stone walls are a solid defense, but let’s say you’d like to keep enemies even further away. Enter the chevaux-de-frise (literally, “Frisian horses”), a field of jagged stones poking out of the ground designed to impede attackers. Think of it like a giant prehistoric spike pit. Dún Aonghasa has one of the best examples anywhere, a huge field of stones wrapping around the fort area.
How to Visit Dún Aonghasa
It’s easy to add Dún Aonghasa to your itinerary in western Ireland as a day trip from Galway or nearby. You can catch a ferry to Inis Mór from Galway City, Rossaveel, or Doolin (€30-50, check out Aran Island Ferries or Doolin Ferry Company). The new ferry from Galway City passes by the famous Cliffs of Moher on the return trip. Once you’re on the island, it’s a 25 minute bike ride or a shorter taxi ride (€10-20). There are only a few main roads, so it’s easy to find Dún Aonghasa (€5 entry fee). There’s also a small museum at the site.
Alternatively, you can stay on Inis Mór. It’s a beautiful island, and well worth a couple days of low-key exploration. That’s what I hope to do if I make it back there someday! Check out more about Inis Mór and the Aran Islands here: https://www.aranislands.ie/inis-mor-inishmore-island-aran-islands. Or read about more of my adventures in Ireland here.
Dún Aonghasa Facts
- Built by: Bronze Age to Early Medieval Irish
- Time period: 1100 BC – 1000 AD
- Size: 14 acres
- Location: Inis Mór, Ireland
- Major features: stone fortifications, chevaux-de-frise defense, 300 ft. cliffs
- Other names: Dun Aengus
