Editing Hillfort (section)

=== Ireland ===
{{Main article|List of hillforts in Ireland}}
[[File:Griahan of aileach.jpg|thumb|Exterior view of the Ringfort ''[[Grianan of Aileach]]'' situated in County Donegal]]

Bronze Age and Iron Age hillforts are widely found in Ireland,<ref>O'Driscoll, J., Hawkes, A. and O'Brien, W. (2019) 'The Irish hillfort', in Lock, G. and Ralston, I. (eds.) Hillforts: Britain, Ireland and the Nearer Continent - Papers from the Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland Conference, June 2017. Oxford: Archaeopress, pp. 77-96. doi: 10.2307/j.ctvnb7r0b. https://hdl.handle.net/10468/12265</ref> with more than 500 identifed in Ireland and Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Atlas of Hillforts |url=https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/40ccda26452f427a9f081506958e1d81/#widget_23=active_datasource_id:acf7b6cc651c4bc1a392992140d959ca,center:-882617.0402352328,7022145.161448527,102100,scale:7269562.851905173,rotation:0&widget_27=search_status:%7B%22serviceEnabledList%22:%5B%22config_0%22%5D%7D |access-date=2025-02-15 |website=}}</ref> They are large circular structures between 1 and 40 acres (most commonly 5–10 acres) in size, enclosed by a stone wall or earthen rampart or both. These would have been important tribal centres where the chief or king of the area would live with his extended family and support themselves by farming and renting cattle to their underlings.

About 12 are multivallate as distinguished by multiple ramparts, or a large [[counterscarp]] (outer bank). The imposing example at Mooghaun is defended by multiple stone walls.

One must be careful to not confuse a hill-fort with a '[[ringfort]]'—a medieval settlement—a common archaeological feature across the whole island of Ireland, of which over 40,000 examples are known;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.culturalheritageireland.ie/index.php/heritage-sites-and-centres/69-ringforts|title=Ringforts|website=www.culturalheritageireland.ie|date=8 August 2023 }}</ref> one source claims there may be 10,000 undiscovered ringforts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.markfisherauthor.com/2016/05/mystery-ancient-irish-ringforts-part/|title=The Mystery of Ancient, Irish Ringforts — Part I|first=Mark E.|last=Fisher|date=29 May 2016}}</ref>