Recent stormy weather along the west coast has resulted in a portion of the prehistoric hill fort Dún Beag on Dingle’s Slea Head peninsula falling into the sea.
Impressive promontory Dún Beag Fort on the Dingle peninsula (Credit Florian Walsh)
A 10m section of the drystone rampart at the entrance to the fort has collapsed into the sea as well as a drystone souterrain, an underground chamber.
The Iron Age promontory fort dates back over 2,500 years and is located on a cliff edge site on the Dingle peninsula. The site is along the popular Slea Head route and has a visitor centre on site.
A large portion of 2,500 year old Dunbeg Fort has fallen in to sea due to storm.OPW says site is extremely dangerous and unstable #WestKerry pic.twitter.com/bOFbP3eERc
— Seán Mac an tSíthigh (@Buailtin) January 4, 2018
The Office of Public Works has closed the site and issued a warning people about the danger “Following damage from recent severe weather events the site is extremely dangerous and members of the public are asked not to visit the monument for their own safety. The Office of Public Works (OPW) and the National Monuments Service (NMS) are currently assessing the damage.”
Since the site was first recorded in the early 19th century it has suffered extensive erosion and part of the site previously fell into the sea in 2014.
