The Dún Aonghasa cheval de fries field

…this defensive structure evokes the enormous scale of the struggles around this place of defense. 

MichaelStephenWills

A span of 10,000 years spreads between now and the first possibility of settlement on the island of Eire, then swept clean to bare rock by the weight of ice.  Current scholarship of the Dún Aonghasa ruins, Inishmore, County Galway, the Irish Republic place a settlement within the inner of the four dry stone rings after 6,500 years (1,500 BC or 3,500 years ago).  By way of scale, the first settlement took about 30 times the duration of the U.S. Constitution ratification through 2025: the last state, Rhode Island, ratified the Constitution 1789.

By 700 BC, 2,700 years ago, a series of upright, closely placed stones, were erected between the second and third rings called a cheval de fries field (“Frisian horses” in English) today, this defensive structure evokes the enormous scale of the struggles around this place of defense.  

This is a portion of that field, I believe, taken as Pam and I approach the inner ring entrance, walking a wide path cleared of barriers.  Click the photograph for a larger image with caption.

Click the link for my Getty IStock photography of the Aran Islands
Click me for the first post of this series, “Horse Trap on Inishmore.”

References: search wikipedia for “Dún Aonghasa” and Google “cheval de fries definition” and “Dún Aonghasa.”

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17 thoughts on “The Dún Aonghasa cheval de fries field”

  2. I enjoyed the flowers scattered around the rocks, and did laugh at the line under the photo. I know what you mean by the Inishmore “horse trap,” but this field looks rather like a horse trap of a different kind.

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    1. Thank you for viewing the enlarged photograph, shoreacres. The title was truncated. I did not pick that up and made a correction and edit to give more information, using the Lightroom caption rather than the title.

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  3. I agree Michael that a walk through the stones, and just being there, my senses would be like a dry sponge, trying to take it all in. Even then, the subtle nuances of the place would be missed until another visit, brought more to light. intangibles can speak volumes.

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    1. Thank you, BigSkyBuckeye—well said. Places like Dún Aonghasa keep some answers tucked in the stone, but the mystery is part of the magnetism. I’m glad the post shed a little light while leaving room for wonder.

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  8. Your photo is history scattered upon the plains… It beautifully highlights the site’s ancient history and impressive defenses. You bring the landscape along with its story to life.

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    1. Thanks so much, Dalo—what a lovely turn of phrase, “history scattered upon the plains.” The chevaux-de-frise still feel purposeful there, slowing raiders and guiding footsteps even now. I’m glad the images carried a bit of that wind-carved story across.

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