Drone operator finds previously undocumented ring fortification in Co Clare



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An award-winning app developer and drone operator has discovered a previously unknown steep cliff near his home in Co Clare.

Satellite, communications and electronics engineer Matthew Kelly was operating a drone near Crag, Lahinch during the current blockade when he made the archaeological find.

Image: Matthew Kelly
Image: Matthew Kelly

Kelly, however, has a history in this area, as she discovered ancient forts in Dundalk in 2018.

His latest find had not previously been recorded in the National Monuments Service (NMS) database, but has since been officially added.

“I found the fort while flying my drone around the small cliffs at Lahinch during closure,” Kelly explained.

“I have been shooting forts and stone circles for years, so I knew what it was when I found it. I emailed the National Monuments Service who reviewed it and added it to their database, which means it is now recorded and protected. “

However, Kelly does not claim full credit for her latest discovery.

“Artist Jim Fitzpatrick inspired me to enter Irish mythology years ago, so I asked him to name the fort. He suggested ‘Cliodna of the Waves’, so we’ll call it ‘Dun Cliodna’ (Cliodna’s Fort).

“Clíodhna is the goddess of love and beauty and is said to have three brightly colored birds that eat apples from an otherworldly tree and whose sweet song heals the sick,” he said.

The discovery is now classified as a “cliffside fort” in the city of Crag and is “slated for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP (Register of Monuments and Sites).

The NMS confirmation states that the fort is: “Located on a steep cliff c. 450m S of Lahinch beach receding towards a NE-SW cliff. A sub-circular enclosure, reported to the National Monuments Service by Matthew Kelly. ”

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