Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In a flat relatively low-lying position in undulating pastureland, within a large multiperiod field system (CL009-059001-), with higher ground c. 100m to the E. Hachured on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch maps and labelled ‘Caherminnaun’ on the latter ed. Labelled ‘Cathair Mhionnán’ on Robinson’s map (1977). Described by Westropp (1915, 263) as a remarkable cashel, the dressed masonry of which was ‘neither horizontal nor polygonal, but of long, sloping courses, running into wedges between the adjoining layers’. A base-batter was evident. The entrance gateway was unusual in that it had four small pillar stones – one at each angle. Its lintels had been thrown down. There were two flights of steps on the inner wall-face: one at S consisted of a straight set of four steps within a recess in the wall, the other at NE consisted of a ‘sideways flight’, where four steps projected from the wall-face. Two of the steps appeared to be original and two may have been later insertions or were displaced original steps. This flight may have accessed a terrace. This almost circular cashel (int. dims. 28.7m N–S; 28m E–W) is still very well preserved. It is defined by a double-faced wall (Wth 2.85–3.7m; int. H 0.6–1.3m; ext. H 0.8–1.3m). The inner wall-face is visible all round but a later drystone wall has been built on top of it. The outer wall-face is visible from S to NNW and at E. Both faces are composed of large horizontally laid limestone blocks (L c. 0.8m by 0.6m; H 0.3m). There is a small spread of stone inside the wall (Wth 2–3m; H 0.5m) and a wider spread (Wth 0.6–c. 3m; H c. 1–1.7m) outside it. Both flights of steps, which are attributes associated with Western Stone Forts (Cotter 2012, vol. 1, 24), survive but only three of the steps (L 1.2m; H 0.2m; T 0.3m) remain in the flight at SSE. The steps (L 1.2m; H 0.2m) of the NNE flight protrude 0.6m from the wall-face. The original entrance (ext. Wth 1.13m; visible H 0.7–0.8m) at SE is now blocked by rubble. Two rectangular limestone blocks (L 0.31–0.37; Wth 0.25m; H 0.7–0.8m) marking its outer edge and some displaced large stones near it may be features noted by Westropp (1915, 263.). Its N side was damaged during the construction of a modern entrance gap (Wth 2.5m) to its N. Within the interior a later collapsed field wall (max. Wth 3m; H 0.7m) meanders from SE towards NW where a stone structure (int. dims. c. 10m E–W; c. 4m N–S) has been built against the inner wall-face; this latter feature is possibly the sheepfold noted on the OS 25-inch plan. An enclosure (CL009-059005-) lies c. 70m to the ENE and a holy well (CL009-059010-) lies c. 136m to the NE. The following images have been uploaded: CL009-059004-_01 view from W.jpt CL009-059004-_02 site drawings (Westropp 1915, 216).jpg CL009-059004-_03 cashel wall (Westropp 1915, Pl. XXI).jpg CL009-059004-_04 view from SW.jpg CL009-059004-_05 interior from SE.jpg CL009-059004-_06 interior from SW, with steps in cashel wall at right.jpg Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Conn Herriott Date of upload: 7 March 2022

References

Westropp, T.J. 1915 Prehistoric remains (forts and dolmens) in Burren and its south western border, Co. Clare. Part 12: North Western Part. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 5, 45-62, 249-74. 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. Cotter, C. 2012 The western stone forts project. Excavations at Dún Aonghasa and Dún Eoghanachta. 2 vols. Dublin. Wordwell Ltd.