Ringfort - cashel

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.