Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On a flat terraced area with further rising terraces to the S and good views from W–E. Hachured on the 1842 of the 6-inch OS maps and indicated with a solid line on the 1915 eds. Listed as ‘Enclosure’ in the SMR (1992) and the RMP (1996). A largely overgrown subcircular cashel (ext. dims. 36.3m N–S; 38.8m E–W) defined by a stony bank (Wth 2–12.5m; orig. wall T 2m; ext. H 0.4–0.8m; int. H 0.2–0.5m) with occasionally surviving inner facing-stone (H 0.2m) and outer facing-stones surviving around most of its circumference (H 0.4–0.8m). There is no trace of an original entrance and the interior is generally flat. There is a small circular walled outline near edge in the NNW sector, but at the time of inspection (1997) it was too overgrown to access. A more recent field wall is built on the outer edge of the cashel wall in most sectors. Two other cashels lie 60m SW (CL004-003----) and c. 120m ESE (CL004-007----) respectively. The field walls extending between these form part of a field system (CL004-098----) likely contemporary and potentially partially predating these cashels.
There is an unusual density of ringforts in this part of the Burren. Borlase (1897, 65) counted twenty between Derreen West and Derreen East and thirty-three on the slope on which they occur (including the NW-facing slope of Knockauns Mountain). Westropp (1901, 10–11) reported several of these to be largely levelled and rebuilt as sheep folds but still believed them to be of ancient origin.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin

Date of upload: 16 December 2020

References

Borlase, W.C. 1897 The Dolmens of Ireland, 3 vols. London. Chapman and Hall.

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