Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On a slightly raised area of terrace on the W-facing slope on the NW side of Slieve Elva, with commanding views to WSW–NE. Hachured on the 1842 ed. of the OS 6-inch map and indicated with a solid line on the 1915 ed. Listed as ‘Enclosure’ in the SMR (1992) and the RMP (1996). Westropp (1901, 10) recorded it along with the other cashels in the vicinity.
A roughly circular cashel (ext. diam. 29m) defined by a stone bank (Wth 3.1–3.6m; int. H 0.3–0.5m; ext. H 1.1–1.8m) with well-preserved external facing but a largely robbed-out inner face. The remains of a rectangular structure (CL004-016037-) are located in the N sector, abutting the NW wall. An exposed lintel in the NW sector covers an ope (2m NW–SE x 1.2m NE–SW; D 0.8m) potentially indicating a souterrain. Westropp (1901, 10) noted the, now likely obscured, jambs of a gateway (Wth 0.86m [34 inches]) in the north wall. He also noted ‘the foundations of a late oblong building’ which are likely the noted rectangular structure mentioned above and an ancient circular hut (CL004-016047-) in the SW, of which there are now no visible remains at ground level. An area of robbed cashel wall in the SSW might be related.
This cashel lies within an extensive multiperiod field system (CL004-016001-), covering an area of c. 8sqkm. Two cashels (CL004-016011- and CL004-016013-) and an enclosure (CL004-016008-), also within that field system, are located c. 30m NNW, 90m S and c. 85m SSW respectively.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Ros Ó Maoldúin

Date of upload: 28 April 2021

References

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