Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On a level terrace of rough pasture on the E side of Faunarooska Hill, c. 400m W of Rathborney River and in a multiperiod field system (CL005-014001-). Wide views from NE to SW and a wedge tomb (CL005-014004-) is located c. 30m to W.
A subcircular bivallate cashel (ext. diams. 43.9m N-S; 42.7m E-W; int. diams. 22.3m E-W; 21m N-S) defined by an inner (Wth 3-5.2m) and outer wall (Wth 1.3-2m) set between 5 and 5.5m apart. The edges are largely covered in rubble spread but facing stones (H 0.3-0.7m) are present on all wall faces.
Westropp (1901, 277) noted its presence but in his description appears not to have noted its outer enclosing wall: ‘ … on a shoulder of the hill 200 feet above the brook is the caher of Faunaroosca, a small ring fort built of large thin blocks in courses and laid as stretchers; the wall is 8 feet thick and barely 5 feet high, with small filling’.
An animal pen is built on and between the enclosing elements at N. The Cassini edition (1916) of the OS 6-inch map shows a small square (est. c.5m x c.5m) enclosure, probably an animal pen, abutting the exterior of the cashel at NNE. A wedge tomb (CL005-014004-) is located c. 30m to W.

Westropp, T.J. 1901 Prehistoric remains in north-western Clare, part 2. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 31, 273-92.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Ros Ó Maoldúin

Date of upload: 29 July 2022