Clochán na Carriage

Cloch’ is the Irish word for stone, and ‘clochán’ refers to a building made entirely out of stone. Clochán na Carraige, ‘the clochán of the rock’, is one of a number of such structures on Árainn, but is the only one that survives intact. This clochán appears oval from the outside, but inside is a rectangular room about 6m by 2.3m.

It has two doors, one opposite the other, which is a feature of traditional houses, apparently so that one or other could be used depending on the direction of the wind. The roof is corbelled, meaning each course of stone is laid so that it overhangs the course below, eventually bringing the sides together to form a roof. This simple technique was used over thousands of years, meaning Clochán na Carraige could have been built at almost any stage in the island's history.

Clocháin are sometimes associated with sites of pilgrimage, so perhaps this site was temporary accommodation for medieval pilgrims visiting nearby Teampall Bhreacáin.

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This national monument is protected in accordance with the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014