prehistory, Ireland, hillforts, Bronze Age
This article examines an important Bronze Age hillfort in the Ballyragget area of north-west Kilkenny. The site at Toor More/ Donaghmore is the largest prehistoric monument in the county, consisting of two concentric enclosures over an area of 8.94ha. Each enclosure was originally surrounded by a wooden palisade, erected on the inside of a stone-faced bank with an external rock-cut ditch. Excavation confirms that both palisades were deliberately burnt down, with charred timbers found during excavation. Radiocarbon dates indicate that the site was built around the twelfth century BC, at the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age in Ireland. The burning of hillforts such as Toor More provides some insight into the political relations and regional conflicts of that period.