Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

At the top of a broad hill, with land immediately to E-SW sloping down, and wide views all around except to W. Within a large multiperiod field system (CL009-059001-). Hachured and labelled ‘Cahermore’ on the 1842 and 1920 eds. of the OS 6-inch map. Named ‘Cathair Mhór’ on Robinson’s map (1977). This subcircular cashel (27.4m N-S; 26.3m E-W) is defined by a double-faced stone wall (Wth 1.6-2m; int. H 0.2-0.5m; ext. H 1-1.6m). The outer wall-face was extensively damaged between 1897 and 1915 (Westropp 1915, 269) but was still clearly visible all around when inspected in 1997. This is composed of horizontally laid stones (L c. 0.8m; H 0.2m; D 0.4m). The inner wall-face is barely traceable at S; elsewhere it is obscured by wall rubble, which also covers the lower part of the outer wall-face (total Wth 6-8m). An entrance (Wth 0.9m) lies at ESE, and is filled with stones and vegetation. There is a later gap (Wth 1.8m) at NNW and an animal track over the wall at E. A house site (CL009-059115-) is situated in the W interior, against the inner wall-face. There is an overgrown stone mound (c. 8m NW-SE; c. 6m NE-SW) in the ENE interior, beside the wall rubble. This may be the remains of a later animal pen (ibid.).

An enclosure (CL009-164001-) lies 22m to the NE and a cist (CL009-163002-) lies c. 37m to the N. Another enclosure (CL009-247----) lies c. 85m to the NW.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 30 March 2022

References

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.

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.