Dun Aonghasa

Dun Aengus - Inishmore, Ireland

Inis Mór - Dún Aonghasa (Dun Aengus)

5/16/2015.
Dún Aonghasa is the most popular attraction in Aran Islands. It's about 4 miles from Kilronan, and all options to get here are touristy (horse-drawn cart, taxi, bike, van tour, etc.) I was reluctant to walk the 4 miles as I just did the most of it the day before. As I was chatting with the cashier at Spar, the guy behind me offered a ride so I happily jumped into his OPW (Office of Public Works) utility truck. It turned out his job is to upkeep all monuments on Inis Mór. He's so knowledgeable that I wished the ride lasted longer.

After walking up Dún Dúchathair a few hours earlier, I wasn't impressed by Dún Aonghasa, especially the 4 euro ticket. Dún Aonghasa sits on a higher cliff and is better maintained than Dún Dúchathair. The trails are well marked and the cliffs are mostly fenced off. It has a nice café and a line of taxis and horse-drawn carts waiting outside.

Dun Aonghasa, the stone fort on Inishmore.

Dun Aonghasa. The stone fort on Inishmore, Aran Islands. With a 100m sheer drop, the fort is simply spectacular. Dun Aonghasa is one of the most important and distinctive ancient sites of Ireland. A huge ancient ring fort seemingly cut in half by the sheer cliff face of Inishmore, at the mercy of the elements and the encroaching Atlantic Ocean. The late Bronze Age fort is a succession of stone enclosures covering some 14 acres, protected by an outer defence of jagged stone known as a Chevaux de frise. The outer enclosure spans far and wide and would have protected livestock, whereas the middle and inner enclosures were more defensive in purpose. The inner wall measures some 5m in width and would have been 6m high; it took some 6,500 tonnes of stone to build. At the heart of the fort, situated right on the cliff edge is a rock platform, which formed the focal point in the rituals and lives of those who dwelt here.

Little is known of the fort's original inhabitants, recent excavations date the earliest human inhabitation as around 1500BC - 1000AD, though the most important period is believed to have been around 800BC. It is believed to have been the political and ritual centre for a group of peoples of common ancestry and only those elite members would have lived at Dun Aonghasa. However the name of Aonghasa comes from a much later period of the 5th Century when the fort was again inhabited. It is believed the name is associated with that of Aonghus Mac Natfraich, King of Cashel in the 5th Century, who had dynastic connections with Aran.

What was Dun Aengus built for?

In this video we examine the history and the likely utlities for which the mysterious ancient Irish fort Dun Aengus may have been used for.

Thank you to Nick Swann for permission to use his great footage in this video:

Aran Islands Inishmore Dun Aengus Fort

Join us on a walk to the amazing prehistoric fort of Dun Aengus, on Inishmore, on the Aran Islands in County Galway, Ireland. See more of our fun Ireland and Irish culture videos at enjoy-irish-culture.com

View from the fort Dun Aonghasa (Aran Islands - Inis Mor, Ireland)

From wikipedia:
Dún Aonghasa is the most famous of several prehistoric forts on the Aran Islands, of County Galway, Ireland. It is located on Inishmore at the edge of an approximately 100 metre high cliff.
A popular tourist attraction, Dún Aonghasa is an important archaeological site that also offers a spectacular view. It is not known when Dún Aonghasa was built, though it is now thought to date from the Iron Age.T. F. O'Rahilly surmised that it was built in the second century B.C. by the Builg following the Laginian conquest of Connacht. It was probably originally constructed as a circular ringfort several hundred metres from the coast, its present precarious position being the result of centuries of coastal erosion.
Dún Aonghasa has been called the most magnificent barbaric monument in Europe. The Proto-Celtic name, meaning Fort of Aonghas, refers to the pre-Christian god of the same name described in Irish mythology.

Day 38 - Walking through Prehistoric Ireland | Dun Aengus Inishmore | Walking Around Ireland

Inishmore in the Aran Islands is home to four ancient Ring Forts. It’s an incredible thing to see these ancient forts in close proximity. Dun Aengus is the largest and most famous. In this episode, I walk around the island and document the fort a little bit....

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About the Walk - I am walking around Ireland. I will be sleeping in a tent and it will take approx 3 months to complete the journey. I was initially just walking to the Great Blasket Islands but things change and I have decided to continue walking all the way around Ireland and back to my starting point in Dublin.

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Dun Aengus - Aran Island, Ireland

Ancient Fort on the edge of a cliff on Aran Island in Ireland.

Inis Mór (Inishmore) West Coast of Ireland Drone Video

Inis Mór (Inishmore)
The island of Inis Mór (Inishmore) meaning the big island, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland. It is Well known internationally with over 50 different monuments of Christian, pre Christian and Celtic mythological heritage. There isn’t far you can go before being somewhere where there’s something of historical interest and little reason to question its importance in modern Irish Culture. The main monuments are listed in the attractions. If you wish to have a mor thorough investigation of the island then checkout the Aran Islands history section which lists a more comprehensive list of sights.

Hotel and Bed and Breakfast accommodation is available on the island as well as Bike Rental or Bike hire. When travelling to Inis Mór it is recommended that you would organise accommodation prior to arriving. Ferries to the Aran Islands are available from Rossaveal (leaving Galway city) all year and from Doolin (Cliffs of Moher) from April to October.

THE ARAN ISLANDS BY DRONE (IRELAND)- Dún Aonghasa- Inis Mór

If you ever visit Ireland, I strongly urge you to take a day trip to the Aran Islands, specifically Inis Mór, the largest of the three islands. It is known for its 300 foot cliff and ancient fort, Dún Aonghasa. I was lucky enough to visit this island twice in the last week and here is the drone footage I captured in my time there! Hope you enjoy! Cheers!

INIS MÓR - Aran Islands - IRELAND (4K drone view)

4K drone footage from Inis Mór Island. One of three beautiful Aran Islands in IRELAND.
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Inishmore - Dun Aengus

Dun Aengus is a fort situated on the edge of a cliff at a height of 100 meters overlooking the Atlantic on the Aran Island of Inishmore. It consists of a series of concentric circular walls, the innermost; the citadel encloses an area approximately 50 meters in diameter with 4m thick walls of stone. These walls have been rebuilt to a height of 6m and have wall walks, chambers, and flights of stairs as well.
Two walls of stone that form semicircles from one cliff edge to the other surround it. The innermost of these two walls encloses an area approximately 130m by 100m, and the outer wall encloses about 400m by 200m. (Flanagan 1992) Between the two outer walls is a small enclosure that extends as if an extension to the first wall. The restored walls are likely noticeable because of the use of mortar. The original walls were of dry stone construction. In all the enclosed area is comprised of approximately 14 acres.

Aran Islands - Inis Mór

Aran Islands - Inis Mór (31.05.2009)
Inishmore (Irish: Árainn (Mhór) / Inis Mór) is the largest of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay in Ireland and has an area of 12 square miles (31 km2).

Clairseach-Dun Aengus

A slow air inspired by my visit to the Arann Island Inis More.

Over the Edge at Inis Mór cliffs - Aran Islands, Ireland

Inis Mór cliffs (from Dún Aengus fort), Aran Islands, Ireland.

Music:
Always Hopeful, Silent Partner

My photo-stream:

Mountain Dew - Dún Aengus

The Rare Old Mountain Dew, a track from the album ’Down by the Glenside’ by the band Dún Aengus. Available at

Warning Seriously good for you - Inis Meáin Restaurant & Suites Aran Islands Ireland HD

Whatever your beliefs – your vision of Eden might not switch to the remoteness of the Irish Aran Islands in the Galway Bay– but it should.
A soon as you catch a glimpse of the middle island (the least busy of the three) you become enchanted and realize why the island has long been the secret enclave for playwrights, artists and escapists alike.
Think here of natural barren beauty, lichen weathered limestone outcrops, clear aqua green waters, folklore woven through the resilient islanders…you following us….fresh lobster hoisted from the bay prepared by maverick chef-owner Ruairi de Blacam, who with his co-owner & wife Marie-Thérèse, have crafted a signatory island retreat that is as honest and simple as the beauty of the island itself.
With no TV, this is your chance to find yourself – bikes waiting for a ride, rods at the door looking for fish or that book waiting to be read – be active, be restful, be good to yourself. This is seriously slow living.
With just 5 suites you need to be off the mark early to get a room here – the place is only open from April to September – so get your act together and request a room as early as possible.
Discover it for yourself right here.

Cliff Walk, Dun Angus Inish More (Dún Aonghasa Inis Mόr) Not for the feint hearted

A walk along the cliff edge of Dun Angus Inish More (Dún Aonghasa Inis Mόr)