Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On level ground in good pasture at the E end of low ridge with a low but steep drop immediately to the E, c. 235m S of the foreshore. Poor rough grazing land E and S partly improved with local field walls levelled. Hachured and named ‘Cahermore’ on the 1842 and 1915 eds. of the OS 6-inch maps. Indicated on the 1915 ed. as an irregularly shaped area with a substantial wall. It was mentioned as ‘Baile i chonradhi’ in the rental of 1380 (after Westropp 1901, 279–80).
A very large but very poorly preserved cashel roughly trapezoidal in plan with a rounded N end (int. dims. 76m N–S; 51m E–W) defined by a moss-covered spread (Wth 4-7m; max. H 1.5m) with occasional inner and outer facing-stones (not opposed) surviving in situ and best seen along the S outer wall-face (H 1.6m). At NNE a low stony bank (L 5m) may be the partially blocked-up site of the original entrance. A later field wall bisects the interior NNE–SSW and the site is divided between two farm owners. The area to the E and S has been cleared of the many small fields shown on the 1915 ed. of the OS 6-inch map and a great deal of cleared stone is piled outside the wall at E where the external ground is several metres lower. The interior is largely covered in hazel wood with some thorn and briar growth. The site of a possible subcircular enclosure (CL002-038----) lies c. 120m to the SW.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin

Date of upload: 9 December 2020

References

Westropp, T.J 1901 Prehistoric remains in north-western Clare part II. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 31, 273-91.