5 Forts to Explore in Connacht

This restored 13th-century fortification was originally built by Meiler de Bermingham and is located within the heritage town of Athenry. The imposing three-storey hall-keep survives from the mid-thirteenth century. It is solidly impressive from the outside, although the interior was simply built, containing only a hall at first-floor level and dark storerooms below.

Dún Conor is a stone ringfort and National Monument located on Inishmaan, Ireland, measuring about 69 m N-S and 35 m E-W; although smaller than Dún Aengus, it has thicker walls, up to 6 m in places. The fort is believed to date back to the first or second millennium BC.

Dún Dúchathair is a prehistoric fort located in front of the sea on Inishmore in County Galway. , its still imposing remains make it one of the most famous places on the island and Its age is unknown. The fort consists of a terraced walls, reaching 6 metres high and 5 metres wide. On the inside are the ruins of various rooms, possibly from Clocháns or Beehive huts. There is also evidence of a cheval de frise protecting the entrance.

Dún Eochla is a superb stone ring fort located at the highest point on Inishmore in the Aran Islands. Consisting of two series of walls, which with the stone hut in the enclosure, were repaired in the late 19th Century. It lies on Inishmore, at the edge of a 100 metre high cliff. A popular tourist attraction, Dún Aonghasa is an important archaeological site.

The Black Fort is a large stone fort on the cliffs at Cill Éinne, Inishmore in County Galway, Ireland. Due to erosion, it now sits on a rocky promontory that stretches out into the sea. On its outer side there are large walls, reaching 6 metres high and 5 metres wide. On the inside are the ruins of clocháns. There is also evidence of a cheval de frise protecting the entrance.