Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On the level, upper (between 700’ and 800’ contours) NE slope of Knockauns Mountain (OD 983’) with another cashel (CL004-041----) clearly visible c. 70m to the NE, and within a large field system (CL004-098----). Indicated on the first edition (1842) of the OS 6-inch map and hachured on the later Cassini edition (1915). Probably referred to by Westropp (1901, 11) as one of, ‘… four ring-walls [possibly along with CL004-039----, CL004-041---- and CL004-039042----], about 100 feet [c. 30m] in diameter … three … levelled; the fourth … nearly gone.’
A roughly circular area (int. diams. 25.8m N-S; 22.8m E-W) is defined by a drystone wall (Wth 1-1.6m at base; int. H 0.35-1.1m; ext. H 0.3-1.4m) and a bank of earth and stone (Wth 1.5m; int. H 0.3m; ext. H 0.6m in E) from NW-SE. Outer wall facing is best preserved from SW to NW (H c. 1.4m). The interior is grass-covered and slopes gently to the E. Later field walls are built on the original line of the cashel wall at SW and NW and a later wall abuts the monument at E.

Compiled by: Gearoid Conroy and Lynda McCormack

Date of upload: 7 November 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.