Grianán of Aileach

In writing this post I learned that this is a 19th century recreation, not the original. As bummed as I am, it was still a cool place to visit.

The Grianán of Aileach is a is a 19th-century reconstruction of a stone ringfort, thought to have been built in the sixth or seventh century. It sits atop the 244 metres (801 ft) high Greenan Mountain at Burt on the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland.

We had time before our main excursion, and this was easily accessible (I say after the fact). We had once again lucked out with some decent weather, although rain had passed through right before we arrived.

The fort consists of two inside rings, each at a different height. There are stairs that allow for visitors to reach the top of each ring, with the highest offering a commanding view of the entire peninsula.

The stairs were very narrow and potentially slippery, so care was taken not to become a footnote on the informational plaque explaining the location. It was also really fumkin wimdy both on top of the fort, inside, and outside.

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