Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On grassed-over karst limestone sloping to the S and W, within a large multiperiod field system (CL009-059001-). A ravine running WSW-ENE lies immediately to the S. Hachured on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. Listed as ‘Mound’ in the RMP (1996). Described by Westropp (1915, 265) as a 'cathair' built of ‘large fine masonry’; the wall was ‘7 feet [2.1m] thick and over 5 feet [1.5m] high’ and had a batter. The foundation of its gateway had recently been uncovered; it was ‘4 feet [1.2m] wide, without posts’. It faced SE and one foundation block of the N jamb survived.
This subcircular cashel (ext. diam. 35m E-W) is now very poorly preserved. It is defined by a very denuded double-faced stone wall (Wth at S 2.5m; max. int. H 0.35m; max. ext. H 1m), which only survives from NE to S. A drystone field wall (H 1.3m; Wth 0.6m) overlies this between NE and SE. Between S and W the grass-covered uncut bedrock base (Wth 2.3-3m) on which the wall was built is visible. A farm track cuts across the site from NNE to WNW. Extending through the interior from NNW to SSE is what may be a natural cleft (Wth 10m; D c. 0.6m). The cashel wall overlies this feature at SSE. Another cashel (CL009-059071-) lies c. 45m to the NNE and there is a hut site (CL009-192----) c. 39m to the SE.

Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 7 April 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.

Record of Monuments and Places as established under Section 12 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, County Clare. Issued by National Monuments and Historic Properties Service 1996. Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.