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Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland

Ringfort - cashel

Ballynahown, County Clare, Ireland

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915) covering the location of Ringfort - cashel, Ballynahown, County Clare, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1915), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Townland
Ballynahown
County
Clare
Country
Ireland
First-edition OS map
Not indicated
Latest-edition OS map
Hachured (1915)
Coordinates
53.06490, -9.33473
SMR number
CL004-062----

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1753 map "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1753 · Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗

The National Monuments Service's description

On slightly elevated ground in a rocky scrub covered landscape, overlooked by a sheer rocky cliff from N-E with a limited view of the ocean to the W. Within a large field system (CL004-027001-). Hachured on the 1915 OS 6-inch map. Listed as ‘Enclosure’ in the RMP (1996). Described by Westropp (1905, 348) as a ‘ring-wall’ (dims. 30.48m) ‘quite overthrown’ and ‘probably a bawn’.

An overgrown circular cashel (int. dims. 24m E-W; 21m N-S) defined by a bank of earth and stone (Wth c. 2.5m) which is accessible at N, and from S to SSW and from WSW to NW. A cattle track through the vegetation at N has exposed the stone spread (Wth c. 3m; int. H 1.2m) which is also visible at WNW (Wth 7.5m; int. H 1m; ext. H 0.8m). The outer wall-facing is visible at S (Wth 4m; int. H 0.7m; ext. H 1.2m) and reduces in height at W (H 0.2m). A souterrain (CL004-062002-) is located in the SE quadrant. Another cashel (CL004-060----) lies c. 52m to the NNW.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Lynda McCormack

Date of upload: 10 October 2022

References

Westropp, T. J. 1905 Prehistoric remains (Forts and Dolmens) along the borders of Burren, in the county of Clare. Part 2 - west Corcomroe. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. 35, 342-61.

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Sites and Monuments Record data: National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Record text is reproduced unchanged. National Monuments Service, Government of Ireland · CC BY 4.0
All Ringfort - cashel in Clare All County Clare records All Ireland Heritage registers Historical markers (US)National Register of Historic Places (US)
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