<< Other Photo Pages >> Brusselstown Ring - Hillfort in Ireland (Republic of) in Co. Wicklow
Submitted by Andy B on Monday, 09 February 2026 Page Views: 284
Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Brusselstown Ring Alternative Name: Spinans Hill Hillfort, Brusselstown HillfortCountry: Ireland (Republic of) County: Co. Wicklow Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Baltinglass Nearest Village: Spinans
Map Ref: S9304791108
Latitude: 52.962996N Longitude: 6.616007W
Condition:
| 5 | Perfect |
| 4 | Almost Perfect |
| 3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
| 2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
| 1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
| 0 | No data. |
| -1 | Completely destroyed |
| 5 | Superb |
| 4 | Good |
| 3 | Ordinary |
| 2 | Not Good |
| 1 | Awful |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
| 4 | Short walk on a footpath |
| 3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
| 2 | A long walk |
| 1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
| 4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
| 3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
| 2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
| 1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
| 0 | no data |
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On a commanding flat-topped summit at 409m with panoramic views over the Glen of Imaal valley and Wicklow Mountains; part of a remarkable cluster of nine hillforts around Baltinglass known as "Ireland's Hillfort Capital".
On private land; access with permission from southeastern end of Brusselstown via field entry; relatively easy climb despite elevation.
Groundbreaking research published in the journal Antiquity in November 2025 identified Brusselstown Ring as the largest nucleated settlement ever discovered in prehistoric Britain and Ireland. Aerial photogrammetry surveys in 2017, 2022 and 2024 revealed over 600 topographical anomalies consistent with roundhouse platforms, ranging from 3 to 12 metres in diameter. Approximately 98 platforms lie within the inner enclosure and over 500 between the inner and outer ramparts. This makes Brusselstown Ring a proto-urban settlement dating to approximately 1200-400 BC, some 2,000 years before the Viking towns previously thought to be Ireland's first urban centres.
The inner rampart is constructed of drift geological stone rubble, averaging 9.5 metres wide (range 5.3-11.7m) and surviving up to 1.2 metres high, though scattered downslope stone spread suggests it once stood considerably higher. It forms a complete circuit with four possible entrances at the cardinal points, each a simple 1-2 metre break. The outer rampart is less substantial and damaged in places but likely also formed a complete circuit, separated from the inner rampart by an average of 294 metres. Some house platforms show chevaux de frise (defensive stone obstacles).
Test excavations in 2024 revealed cobbled floors, hearth features, stake holes, pit structures, burnt clay and lithics. A boat-shaped topographical anomaly with a level interior has been tentatively identified as a water cistern, potentially the first of its kind in an Irish hillfort. Three natural rock outcrop pinnacles are present, some showing evidence of quarrying. Notably, excavators found no indicators of social hierarchy, suggesting an egalitarian community structure.
Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from the 2024 test trenches returned dates of 1193-410 BC, placing the primary occupation in the Late Bronze Age with continued use into the Early Iron Age. The research won the Prehistoric Society's James Dyer Prize for 2025.
Brusselstown Ring is one of nine hillforts clustered around Baltinglass, forming the densest concentration of Bronze Age hillforts in Ireland. The nearby Boleycarrigeen stone circle is intervisible with the hillfort, and Keadeen mountain with its cairn and stone circle lies to the east.
References:
Brandherm, D., Edwards, C., Boutoille, L. and O'Driscoll, J. (2025) "Brusselstown Ring: a nucleated settlement agglomeration in prehistoric Ireland"
Antiquity, Volume 99, Issue 408
doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2025.10247
(Open access, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0)
Archaeological Survey of Ireland - Sites and Monuments Record: WI027-018
Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland: IR0718
hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk/records/IR0718.html
O'Driscoll, J. (2016) "The Baltinglass Landscape and the Hillforts of Bronze Age Ireland"
PhD thesis, University College Cork
Wicklow hillfort designated Ireland's earliest proto-town
RTE News, 8 January 2026
http://www.rte.ie/news/leinster/2026/0108/1552039-wicklow-hillfort/
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
1.9km SSE 167° Boleycarrigeen* Stone Circle
2.3km SSW 208° Gates Of Heaven Burial Chamber or Dolmen
2.6km N 349° Castleruddery Stone Row / Alignment (S925937)
3.4km NNW 336° Castleruddery* Stone Circle (S9159394210)
4.8km WSW 249° Baltinglass* Passage Grave (S8855289249)
6.4km NE 56° The Long Stone (Knickeen)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (S983948)
10.3km S 174° Churchmoor Hill North Cairn (SF905403)
10.7km NNW 327° Tournant Stone Circle (N870000)
12.1km N 1° Athgreany* Stone Circle (N9300003200)
13.5km SSW 194° Haroldstown* Portal Tomb (S90087793)
14.1km NW 317° Brewel Hill Stone Circle (N833013)
14.2km W 278° Moone High Cross* Ancient Cross (S7891192693)
15.4km SSE 168° Clonmore* Ancient Cross
15.6km N 360° Whiteleas Stone Circle
15.8km WSW 248° Castledermot High Crosses* Ancient Cross
16.1km NW 322° Kilgowan* Standing Stone (Menhir)
16.5km N 1° Broadleas* Stone Circle (N9292507609)
18.2km S 190° Rathgall Hill Fort* Hillfort (S90227315)
18.3km S 191° Rathgall Destroyed Stone Circle Stone Circle (S900730)
18.7km ENE 75° Glendalough settlement and pilgrim cross* Ancient Village or Settlement
18.8km NNW 329° Old Kilcullen High Cross Ancient Cross
20.0km NNW 328° Knockaulin Timber Circle (N820078)
20.3km ENE 75° The Glendalough Cross and Deer Stone* Early Christian Sculptured Stone (T126969)
21.7km SSW 205° Ardristan* Standing Stone (Menhir) (S8413871337)
22.2km NNE 11° Blessington Desmesne Stone Circle (N9713)
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