Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On high (between 700’ and 800’ contours) rough, grazing on the NE slopes of Knockaunsmountain (OD 983’), with a steep gorge to the S, and within a large field system (CL004-098----). Indicated on both the first (1842) and Cassini (1915) editions of the OS 6-inch map. Referred to by Westropp (1901, 11) as one of four ‘ring-walls’ [along with CL004-036----, CL004-037001- and CL004-037002-, all to the SW]; and subsequently described (Westropp 1915, 58) as, ‘A large fort indifferently called Cahermoyle and Cahermore … and evidently the chief and oldest fort of the group, being of fine masonry and on the choicest site overlooking a shallow grassy hollow, invaluable for keeping cattle under its occupants’ eyes, but hidden from the rest of the plateau. The fort is circular; its wall, 7 to 8 feet [c. 2.13 – c. 2.44m] thick, of large regular courses, and still over 5 feet [c. 1.52m] high, with a batter of 1 in 7. Only three courses remain to north and west, and there is little or no debris, so that evidently all the smaller stonework was removed for road making. It measures 122 feet [c. 37.2m] overall and about 105 feet [c. 32m] inside; there are no house sites’. The monument is named ‘Cathair Mhaol on Robinson’s (1977) map.
An almost circular area (36.8m N-S; 35.8m E-W) is defined by a drystone wall which has been damaged all along the inner wall face. The outer face of the enclosing wall is, however, fairly well-preserved and is highest at WSW and lowest at NNE and SW (int. H 1-1.3m; ext. H 1.3-1.9m; Wth 0.55-0.7m). A gap (Wth 1.8m) at SSW is well-faced on the E-side and may be the original entrance. The enclosing wall may have been built upon an earth and stone bank (Wth 2.2-6.5m; int. H 0.4-0.7m) which is visible along the internal circuit of the monument

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Lynda McCormack

Date of upload: 28 October 2022

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.

Robinson, T. 1977 (revised 1999) The Burren: a two-inch map of the uplands of north-west Clare. Map scale 1:31680. Roundstone: Folding Landscapes.