Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On high ground overlooking the Eanty Valley to the N and another valley to the SE, with land sloping in all directions except NW. In rough pasture and hazel within a large multiperiod field system (CL009-032001-). Hachured and named ‘caher’ on the 1842 ed. of the OS 6-inch map, and hachured on the 1920 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. This circular cashel (22.8m E–W; 22.6m N–S) is defined by a stone wall (Wth c. 1.85–2.35m; int. H 0.2–0.3m; ext. H 1–1.8m) with an outer wall-face of horizontally laid stones. A modern drystone wall is built over the outer wall-face. There is an entrance (Wth 1.4m; visible H 1m) at E, its exterior mostly obscured by hazel. However, a large lintel (L 2.1m; H 0.3m; T 0.5m) is visible in position over the entrance on the outer wall-face. Behind this there is a displaced lintel (L 1.45m; H 0.3m; T 0.3m). Westropp (1898, 362) described this entrance gateway as of quite high-quality masonry, its jambs as non-inclining, with a short corner doorpost stone on the S side (see his drawing attached). The cashel interior is generally at the same level as the surviving wall. There is a spread of stone collapse (Wth 2–4m; H 0.2–0.3m) against the inner wall-face. In the NW interior there are the remains of a souterrain (CL009-042003-). Other cashels lie c. 26m to the NW (CL009-042002-) and c. 136m to the SSE (CL009-043----).

The following images have been uploaded:
CL009-042002-_01.jpg Photo of entrance from W.
CL009-042002-_02.jpg Drawing of gateway (Westropp 1898, 362)

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 24 January 2022

References

Westropp, T.J. 1898 Prehistoric remains in the Burren, County Clare (Carran and Kilcorney). The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 28, 352-66.