Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - cashel
Cahergrillaun, County Clare, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Cahergrillaun
- County
- Clare
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Hachured
- Latest-edition OS map
- Cahergrillaun (1916)
- Coordinates
- 53.03632, -9.11501
- SMR number
- CL009-053004-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid 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)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
At the W edge of a karst plateau in rough pasture within a large multiperiod field system (CL005-160001-), the land falls very steeply c. 45m to the W. Hachured on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map, named ‘Cahergrillaun’ on the latter ed. and ‘Cathair Ghrealláin’ on Robinson’s map (1977). This well-preserved subcircular cashel (c. 40m NW–SE; 36m NE–SW) is defined by a high double-faced stone wall (Wth 2.6–4m; ext. H 1.3–c. 4m), which has undoubtedly been rebuilt especially from E to SE. There is a distinct batter to the outer wall-face, in which the stones are laid horizontally, the lower ones are generally large (L c. 1m; H 0.4m) and the upper one, which are probably later, are smaller. The inner wall-face is traceable around most of the circuit, a step or terrace (Wth and H 0.3–0.6m) at the top is probably related to a modern re-build. Westropp (1898, 365) noted at least one flight of five steps at the W of this ‘plinth or very narrow terrace’, leading to a ‘platform’. The entrance (Wth 2.5m; min. L 2.6m; H 1.2m) is at the SE. Westropp (ibid.) described the sides of its passageway as parallel and composed of massive stretchers. He suggested that roofing such a wide entrance would have required the use of wooden beams. He observed external house foundations and enclosures abutting the cashel at the N and S (ibid., 364). These were not visible during a field inspection in 1998 nor was there any trace of the possible souterrain (CL009-053015-) or possible hut site (CL009-053-16-) within its interior (SMR file). Other cashels lie c. 232m to the SSW (CL009-054----) and c. 245m to the NE (CL009-053010-).
The following images have been uploaded:
CL009-035004- View of external wall-face of cashel (Westropp 1898, 364).jpg
CL009-053004- View from SE.jpg
Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Conn Herriott
Date of upload: 28 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.
SMR file - Sites and monuments record files in the National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Robinson, T. 1977 (revised 1999) The Burren: a two-inch map of the uplands of north-west Clare. Map scale 1:31680. Roundstone: Folding Landscapes.
Nearby in the register
- Souterrainunder 1 mi
- Hut siteunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - cashelunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - cashelunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.