Ancient fort scrambler bike damage 'disrespectful'

18 minutes ago

David Wilsonand

CJ McGinley,BBC News NI

News image — Historian Dessie McCallion says the fort is not a 'playground'

BBC A man in a blue coat and hat stands in the middle of An Grianán of Aileach, a stone ringfort in County Donegal, Ireland. — Historian Dessie McCallion says the fort is not a 'playground'

The grounds of an historic and protected fort in the Republic of Ireland have been damaged after scrambler bikes were ridden inside its walls.

An Grianán of Aileach, a hilltop fort that dates to the 9th Century BC, is one of the most historic sites in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.

The Irish government's Office of Public Works (OPW) said it was aware of damage to the "ground surface inside the fort" caused in an incident last weekend and gardaí were investigating.

Local historian Dessie McCallion said the damage to the ancient site was "disrespectful".

A number of tyre tracks are seen on grass. The grass is inside a stone fort, the walls of which are viewed in the background. — The incident, reported last weekend, is being investigated by Irish police

"I could not help but think the individuals who did this would not do it to their local soccer pitch, parkland, or garden," he said, adding those responsible were "thoughtless."

Gardaí said the damage was caused sometime between 13:00 local time on 6 March and 14:15 on 9 March.

Getty Images Grianán of Aileach, a circualr stone fort on top of a hill. — Grianán of Aileach is one of County Donegal's most recognisable landmarks

"An Grianán of Aileach is not a playground, certainly not the walls which can be extremely dangerous," McCallion said.

Popular for wedding photographs

A lady with shoulder lenght fair hair stands in a car park. she is wearing a blue jacket and black blouse. She is wearing dark rimmed glasses. — Jacqui Devenney says the fort is a popular wedding photography location

Jacqui Devenney lives a stone's throw from An Grianán of Aileach.

Whoever damaged the fort's grounds, she said, doesn't seem to "fully understand the historical significance of this site".

"What is so beautiful about An Grianán is that you can go up anytime and its open and accessible.

"You could go up at a full moon and there might be 20-30 people. I am a photographer, and it is fantastic to see people coming here, including weddings," she said.

A lady in a navy blue rain coat stands in front of a parked car. The walls of a house are seen in the background. She has shoulder length brown hair. — The damage to the site is "deeply concerning," Mary McCallion says

Mary McCallion also lives close to the ancient fort and is also "deeply concerned".

"Scrambler bikes or powerful bikes caused this damage; I would like to think that those responsible did not realise the extent of the damage.

"I cannot understand the mindset of people who would do such a thing," she said.

"Thankfully, any damage that has been caused can be repaired with the help of the OPW before the real tourism season starts."

What is An Grianán of Aileach?

Designated a National Monument by the Irish government, the fort sits on a mountain top between Lough Foyle in Northern Ireland and Lough Swilly, in the Republic of Ireland.

The earliest evidence of a fort at the site dates to between 1100 and 800 BC.

The stone fort structure is thought to have been built in the 9th Century AD, , and is likely to have been used by the Cenél nÉogain, a branch of the medieval O'Neill clan, for inauguration and other royal ceremonies, according to the OPW.

In the 1870s, An Grianán underwent comprehensive rebuilding works, led by Walter Bernard from the nearby city of Londonderry.

grass ripped up by tyre tracks is in the foreground while the stone walls of a fort are in the background — There was also damage caused to the grounds outside the fort

Sinn Féin councillor Jack Murray said he hoped those responsible for the damage will "be brought to task".

"And I would like to think this will never happen again at somewhere so special to all of us," he said.

"Thankfully the stone work wasn't damaged," Murray told BBC Radio Foyle's 20 Minutes with Mark Patterson programme .

Descriptions of those involved have been given to local police, he said.

motorbike tyre tracks on the grass inside a stone fort, the walls of which can be seen in the background — Local people say there may be a need for better education about the site

Getty Images sunset at Grianán of Aileach — The fort looks out across five Irish counties

In 2024, new opening hours were introduced at the fort following concern there had not been enough access to the historic site.

At that time, Sinn Féin TD (member of the Irish parliament) Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said there was a school of thought among historians that An Grianán of Aileach is "as important to Irish history as the Hill of Tara (the seat of the High Kings of Ireland)".