Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

On high pasture with good views to NW–NE and within a field system (CL004-102----). Overlooked and sheltered by rising ground to the SE. Hachured on the 1842 and 1915 eds. of the OS 6-inch maps. Listed as ‘Enclosure’ in the SMR (1992) and the RMP (1996). A well-preserved roughly circular cashel (int. diam. 20.3m N–S; 19m E–W) defined by a stone and earth bank (Wth at base 4–5m; int. H 0.15–1.5m) with a flat-bottomed external fosse (Wth 2.8m; D 0.65m) evident only from ENE–SE. Inner facing-stones (H 0.2m) survive along the NE and E sides. A low section of bank to the SW marks the likely site of an entrance.
There is an unusual density of ringforts in this part of the Burren. In 1897, Borlase (1897, 65) counted twenty between Derreen West and East and thirty-three on the slope of 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: 22 February 2021

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.