Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On a terrace on the N-facing slopes of Knockauns Mountain commanding views to N and sheltered by slightly higher ground to the SE, S and SSW. Within an extensive multiperiod field system (CL004-016001-). Indicated on the first edition (1840) of the OS 6-inch map. Hachured, with a rectangular structure recorded in the W quadrant, and named ‘Liscoonera’ on both the OS 25-inch plan (1897) and Cassini edition (1915) of the OS 6-inch map. Listed as ‘enclosure’ in the RMP (1996). Referred to by O’Donovan (1839) as ‘Liscoonera in the Townland to which it gives name’ (Comber 1997, 69). Described by Westropp (1901, 10; 1915, 58) as ‘up the hill, 730 feet [c. 222m] above the sea’ a ‘small ring wall’ where ‘much was levelled when two cottages were built in its garth’. The outer wall ‘had two faces and large coarse filling. The inner face is of small "stretchers” the outer of larger slabs. It is 7 to 8 feet high [c.2.1-2.4m] bulged and irregular in its lines’. 

 

A roughly circular cashel (diams. 27.3m N-S; 26.1m ESE-WNW) is defined by a drystone wall (Wth 2.9-3.2m; ext. H 1-1.4m; Int. H 0.5-0.7m) with the partial remains of a second, outer enclosing wall visible from W to WNW. The inner wall is best preserved from WSW to NNW and the outer wall face is best preserved between NNW and S. The enclosing wall is lowest in the ESE (ext. H 0.4m; Int. H 0.5m). Lintelled alcoves are built into the cashel wall in the interior near the N and in the ESE. The interior contains four later structures in the SE, SSW, W and NNW. The structures in the W and NNW are built against the perimeter of the cashel wall and the structure in the SE is set into the thickness of the cashel wall. The structure in the SSW is poorly preserved. A later field wall (Wth 0.45m; ext. H 1.5m; Int. H 1.3m) has been built on or near the original line of the cashel wall from SE-SW-NW and acts as the townland boundary with Derreen East to the W.  An unclassified cairn (CL004-095----) is located c. 55m to the SSW.

 

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Lynda McCormack

 

Date of upload: 25-9-2025

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.

Westropp, T.J. 1915 Prehistoric remains (forts and dolmens) in Burren and its south western border, Co. Clare. Part 12: North Western Part. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 5, 45-62, 249-74. Comber, M. (ed.) 1997 The antiquities of County Clare: John O’Donovan and Eugene Curry: Ordnance Survey Letters 1839. Clasp Press. Ennis.