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Dunrainey fort is a possible motte situated in the Moyle district of Northern Ireland. The monument consists of an uncertain mound whose original form and dimensions remain subject to archaeological interpretation. As a potential motte, it may represent a Norman or medieval fortification typical of the period following the Anglo-Norman expansion into Ulster, though its defensive function and chronology require further investigation.
The site rests upon Dinantian extrusive rocks formed during the Mississippian period, geological foundations of mafic lava and tuff that characterise this region of County Antrim. This volcanic bedrock would have presented both challenges and opportunities to medieval fortifiers selecting and constructing the earthwork.
Dunrainey fort is protected as a monument of archaeological interest by the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland under statutory reference 780. Its survival reflects the enduring presence of medieval settlement patterns across the Irish landscape, though its specific historical context and the circumstances of its construction remain to be fully understood through future study.
Danrainey fort, dunrainey. possible motte is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 780. View the official record →
Dunrainey fort is a possible motte situated in the Moyle district of Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 780.
Danrainey fort, dunrainey. possible motte dates from the uncertain period, and is classified as a mound. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Danrainey fort, dunrainey. possible motte is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 780.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Carn an truagh, knocklayd. megalithic tomb, possibly passage tomb (4.5 km), Court tomb (4.9 km), Standing stone (6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Danrainey fort, dunrainey. possible motte's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Danrainey fort, dunrainey. possible motte stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Dinantian, bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.