Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - cashel
Ballyelly, County Clare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Ballyelly
- County
- Clare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Latest-edition OS map
- Indicated (1915)
- Coordinates
- 53.09932, -9.27024
- SMR number
- CL004-016019-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1753 "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
On the high W-facing slopes of a hill with commanding views from SW to N and within an extensive multiperiod field system (CL004-016001-). Indicated on the 1840 and 1915 OS 6-inch maps. Listed as ‘enclosure’ in the RMP (1996).
A well-preserved roughly circular cashel (ext. dims. 27.2m N-S; 24.7m E-W; int. dims. 20.5m N-S; 18.2m E-W) defined by a drystone wall (T 2.6m at W; T 3.9m at E; ext. H 0.3-1.75m) which is collapsed at SSE. The outer wall-face survives (H 2m in SSW) and is frequently concealed by collapsed masonry. The inner wall-face is best preserved from S to SW (H 1.2m) and less well preserved from SW to WNW. There is less internal collapse along the perimeter of the cashel from NE to ESE than elsewhere. There is a lintled gap in the cashel wall in the WNW (ext. Wth 0.6m; int. Wth 0.4m; H 0.4m; T 1.85m) and a continuation of this feature into the interior of the cashel is indicated by a shallow trench which may be part of a souterrain. In the E quadrant of the interior, the low wall foundations of a subrectangular house of indeterminate date (CL004-016033-) abut the perimeter of the cashel wall. A low, later wall sits on top of this feature. An irregular spread of stones in the SSW may indicate a collapsed second structure. Outside of the cashel and along the perimeter in the SSE, a structure which is now used as an animal pen may have been a contemporary house site. Stone walls abut the cashel wall at W, N and E.
The following image has been uploaded:
CL004-016019-_01.jpg View of cashel from ESE.
Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Lynda McCormack
Date of upload: 9 August 2022
Nearby in the register
- House - indeterminate dateunder 1 mi
- Field systemunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - cashelunder 1 mi
- Hut siteunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.