Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In elevated rocky pasture on an E-facing slope with sharply falling ground to the E and good views to the E. Within a multiperiod field system (CL005-227004-). Indicated as an enclosure on the 1916 OS 6-inch map. Noted by Westropp (1899, 380) as a ‘well-built bawn, lined on the inside with upturned slabs’. A square cashel (30m N-S; 30m E-W) defined by rubble-filled double-faced stone walls (Wth 1-1.2m) with a basal course of very large stones, sitting directly on a limestone outcrop at the E end of the S wall. The walls survive best on the W half of the monument. Portions of outer wall-facing (H 2.3m) and inner wall-facing (H 2m) survive on the S and W walls. There is no clear entrance. The interior is significantly higher to the W and SW. Bowmer (2019, 65-6; pers. comm. 2020, SMR file) included this as a ‘light-walled rectilinear cashel’ and he noted the remains of a possible hut site (CL005-141003-) abutting the interior of the N wall towards the E with a possible souterrain (CL005-141004-) at its W end and another possible hut site (CL005-141005-) in the SE corner. A circular cashel (CL005-141001-) is located c. 15m to the NNW. 
 

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Eve Campbell

 

Date of upload: 20 October 2025

References

Westropp, T.J. 1899 Prehistoric remains in the Burren, County Clare. The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 9, 367-384.

Bowmer, T. 2019 Rectilinear drystone cashel and enclosure settlements in the Burren, Co. Clare. The Journal of Irish Archaeology 28, 59–84.