Thieves have stolen the gate from one of Ireland's oldest and most beloved national monuments. The gate of the Grianán of Aileach, a hillfort in Co. Donegal that dates back to 1700 BC, was shorn off with an angle grinder or something similar at some point on Saturday or Sunday, according to reports. Garda are now searching for information as to the whereabouts of the gate.
The site is usually a major tourist attraction in Donegal, but has been closed in recent months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Grianán of Aileach is close to the town of Burt in Donegal, but the closest city is Derry, just over the border into Northern Ireland. It is one of the finest preserved examples of an early Christian era stone ringfort and sits high atop Greenan Mountain and provides spectacular views of the surrounding area.
In normal times, the Grianán of Aileach is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Donegal, with over 100,000 visitors in a regular summer season, placing it among hte top 20 most popular free tourist attractions in the whole of Ireland.
The physical structure at Grianán of Aileach dates back to the 6th or 7th century AD, though it is thought that the site has been inhabited for far longer than that. It is said to have been visited by St Patrick, who came to baptise the local chieftain, Eoghan, from whom the Inisown peninsula gets its name. The walls are 4.5m thick and 5m tall, with an internal diameter of 23m, which provided ample living area for people inside. The whole structure was built without mortar and features terracing on the inside with 3 separate levels.
The ring fort itself home to the Kings of Aileach, who ruled over an area roughly contiguous with modern day counties of Donegal, Derry and Tyrone. It was abandoned in the 12th century before being renovated and restored as a monument in 1870. It has been a national monument and tourist attraction ever since.
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