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Dun a Mallaght is a mound of uncertain origin situated in the Moyle district of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The monument may represent a motte, a defensive earthwork characteristic of medieval fortification, though its precise function and date remain unclear. The mound occupies bedrock composed of Palaeogene extrusive rocks—ancient mafic lava and tuff formations laid down during volcanic activity some 60 million years ago—which would have provided a naturally strong foundation for any constructed defences.
The site's uncertain classification reflects the challenges of interpreting upstanding earthworks without archaeological excavation. The mound's morphology could indicate medieval military construction, particularly given the prevalence of mottes throughout Ulster during the Norman period and beyond. Alternatively, it may represent an earlier fortified settlement or a natural geological feature that has been incorporated into or mistaken for human construction.
Dun a Mallaght is protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 779, recognising its potential archaeological and historical significance. The monument survives as a visible landscape feature within the distinctive volcanic geology of the north Antrim coast, an area rich in both prehistoric and medieval archaeological heritage.
Dun a mallaght. mound (possibly motte) is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 779. View the official record →
Dun a Mallaght is a mound of uncertain origin situated in the Moyle district of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 779.
Dun a mallaght. mound (possibly 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.
Dun a mallaght. mound (possibly 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 779.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Carn an truagh, knocklayd. megalithic tomb, possibly passage tomb (4.5 km), Tober-bile. standing stone (5.1 km), Court tomb (5.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Dun a mallaght. mound (possibly 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.
Dun a mallaght. mound (possibly motte) stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.