17 Jan Beehive Huts in Ireland
You may …. or may not …. come across these historical structures on Ireland tours.
These are roughly hemispherical huts , built without mortar on the corbel principle – layers of stone placed in a circle , decreasing in circumference as they rise until closed by a single stone at the top.
The best known examples are on “Skellig Michael” and on the “Dingle Peninsula” in County Kerry. But others are found on islands farther north along the coast.
They date from the early Middle Ages ( A.D. c.500 – 1000 )
Sometimes they are explained as temporary dwellings for shepherds. However beehive huts are most likely to have served as shelters or hostels for pilgrims.
They are well worth seeing on any tours of Ireland. ………Real hidden gems of Ireland.