About three miles west of Milltown lies a prominent hill-fort, rising to 92 metres and covering roughly 3.5 acres. It has two key features: a prehistoric earthwork enclosure and a private 19th-century graveyard belonging to the Blake family of Belmont House. The graveyard contains several marked graves, including those of George Blake and James Cuffe Blake.
Archaeologist Barry Raftery confirmed that the site has no evidence of ecclesiastical use and served solely as a private burial ground. The Archaeological Inventory of County Galway describes the site as a large, sub-circular enclosure with banks, fosses, and two entrance causeways. In 1962, it was referred to as a “ringfort-type cemetery.”
On the 19th June 2025, the Senior Room from Belmont National School took a wonderful trip to Culkin’s Hill, a place rich in local history and natural beauty, as part of their Ash Tree Project. 
This is a collaborative research project between Milltown Heritage, the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History and our two local primary schools (Belmont and Milltown).
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