Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In rough grazing on terrace of SW-facing slope near foot of Gleninagh Mountain, overlooking the Caher Valley and River. Listed as ‘Rectangular enclosure’ in the SMR (1992) and the RMP (1996). Hachured and named ‘Caherbannagh’ on the 1842 ed. of the OS 6-inch map while on the 1915 ed. the name is ascribed to CL002-028---- (on Robinson’s map (1977) CL002-028---- is ascribed the name ‘Caithar Bheannach’). A poorly preserved subrectangular enclosure (46m WNW–ESE; 40m NNE-SSW) defined by a low grass-covered stony bank on which a later field wall has been built SW–W is visible on satellite imagery. At NW the later wall kinks out to NW to create a small subrectangular extension (c. 15m NE–SW; 8m NW–SE). Another later field wall crosses the enclosure S of centre on an WNW–ENE orientation and midway along its length a wall extends to the southern limit. No original entrance is evident.
In 1839, O’Donovan (Comber 1997) recorded ‘Cathair Beannach, i.e., the Pinnacled Caher’ as being already in a ruinous state. Westropp (1901, 7–8) argued that it ought to be called ‘Caheragh’ as it appears as ‘Cathrach’ in the O'Brien’s rentals, c. 1390 and as Cahera in the Inquisition of Donough Earl of Thomond’s death, in 1597. He also related a poem written by Hugh MacCurtain (Aodh Buidhe Mac Cruitín 1680-1755) in which it occurs: ‘Thou melancholy singing dove on yonder blackened ‘doon', Dismal and defenceless is the ruin on which you perch, The ruin of the noble pinnacled house of the descendant of Roigh.’ It is unclear whether he was referring to this or to the circular ringfort (CL002-028----) named Caherbannagh on the 1915 OS 6-inch map.
A second possible rectangular cashel (CL002-027----) is located c. 60m SE with an associated field system (CL002-027001-) and two circular cashels (CL002-028---- and CL002-029----) are located c. 240m SE and c. 350m SE.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney

Date of upload: 30 November 2015

References

Comber, M. 2019 Square ringforts? A contribution to the identification of ‘ringfort’ types. Medieval Archaeology 63(1), 128–53.

Comber, M. (ed.) 1997 The antiquities of County Clare: John O’Donovan and Eugene Curry: Ordnance Survey Letters 1839. Clasp Press. Ennis.

Robinson, T. 1977 (revised 1999) The Burren: a two-inch map of the uplands of north-west Clare. Map scale 1:31680. Roundstone: Folding Landscapes.

Westropp, T.J 1901 Prehistoric remains in north-western Clare, part I. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 31, 1-17.