The Hill of Faughart

Situated on the summit of Faughart Hill, overlooking the countryside on all but the E side, not far from Faughart church (LH004-097002-). It consists of a large mound (H c. 8m, diam. at base c. 38m, at summit c. 15.6m) surrounded by a fosse (Wth 5-6m, D c. 1.5m). The fosse is almost flat-bottomed and has its outer face lined in places with drystone walling. It is partly filled in from the N to the E where the modern roadway impinges on it. The mound has been badly eroded in places by cattle climbing up its face. Where the core has has been exposed it can be seen that the mound consists of undisturbed boulder clay in the lower portion with a large amount of greywacke in the upper layers mixed with clay. The mound has been quarried at the S and SW. Wright (1758, bk I, pl. XIV) illustrates an octagonal enclosure surrounding the summit of the mound and two ramps running out from it. The remains of the walled structure (LH004-023002-) on top and one of the ramps at the NE are still clearly visible. The ramp or buttress is 0.8-0.9m wide and has one course of large uncut boulders exposed for a length of 4.7m. The wall on the summit is reasonably well preserved from the NW to the SE but has been quarried away from the S to the SW. At the E side of the summit there are the remains of a possible entrance through the stone wall with what appears to be a stone jamb at its S side. Immediately to the S of this entrance feature there is a well-preserved section of the wall four courses high (H 0.6m, Wth c. 1m). It is bonded with mortar and has a distinct batter on its outer face. At the NW side of the summit there is a short section of a secondary or inner walling. The existing section of outer wall here is 1.8m long and 0.9m wide, while the inner is 2.9m long and 1.6m wide. The outer section is built with large boulders mortared together. The wall follows the perimeter of the summit except at the NW where it is set back by 7m from the edge of the mound. According to Wright (1758, 9), Lord Mountjoy in the reign of Elizabeth I camped there several times during the Tyrone rebellion. The fortification at the top of the motte might be attributed to this period. (Wright 1758, bk I, 9, pl. XIV; Howard 1906, 59-75)