Dun Briste – an Impressive Sea-Stack

Image Credit: imgur.com

Image Credit: imgur.com

In the Irish town-land of Knockaun, 80 meters off Downpatrick Head stands a colossal, 50 meters in height, sea-stack called Dun Briste (The Broken Fort). The surrounding cliffs, including the rock formation, were formed about c. 350 million years ago, when the sea temperatures were much higher than today.

Every year, Downpatrick Head is visited by birdwatchers who come to observe and record the many different species on the stack.

Image Credit:Colin Gates/Flickr

Image Credit:Colin Gates/Flickr

Poll na Seantoine, a cave, which has been hollowed out by the strong waves of the Atlantic Ocean, is a magnificent sight.

Image Credit:little_frank/Flickr

Image Credit:little_frank/Flickr

There are few folk tales about how the sea-stack became separated from the mainland. According to one of them,  on the place where the stack now stands used to live an ogre Geodruisge,  He was a most obnoxious character, often making life difficult for St. Patrick, who used to pray at the church on Downpatrick Head. The saint became agitated, and prayed to God to get rid of this tyrant. The next day the stack with the ogre’s residence was separated from the mainland. Geodruisg couldn’t escape and so he vanished.

Sitting out in the wild Atlantic Ocean, Downpatrick Head is an area of unrivalled coastal beauty and historical importance…

Sitting out in the wild Atlantic Ocean, Downpatrick Head is an area of unrivalled coastal beauty and historical importance…
Photo by depositphotos.com

Dun Briste, an impressive sea-stack, estimated to be approximately 50 metres in height, stands 80 metres off Downpatrick Head, in the town-land of Knockaun, east of Ballycastle, Co. Mayo.

Dun Briste, an impressive sea-stack, estimated to be approximately 50 metres in height, stands 80 metres off Downpatrick Head, in the town-land of Knockaun, east of Ballycastle, Co. Mayo.
Photo by depositphotos.com

However, a passage in the journal by MacFirbis is a more likely explanation. It describes the cutting off, of the rock of Duross promontory by the sea. The residents were taken off using ship ropes in 1393.

Image Credit:John Coveney/Flickr

Image Credit:John Coveney/Flickr

A few years ago, a helicopter landed several scientists on the stack; they were the first humans to set foot there for ages. They stayed there overnight and examined the surface where they found the remains of a medieval house, walls, cultivation ridges, and a corn grinding stone.

The view at Downpatrick Head is breathtaking; on a sunny day the coastline of counties Donegal and Sligo are visible, but caution is needed when approaching the cliff edge.

Image Credit: The Merry Monk/Flickr

Image Credit: The Merry Monk/Flickr

Dun Briste is a unique and beautiful natural wonder, and a visit to this sea stack is a must for anyone interested in Irish folklore, history, and natural beauty.

4 Comments
  1. June 28, 2020
  2. August 23, 2020
  3. March 18, 2021
  4. January 17, 2023

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *