Ecclesiastical enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

On a broad NE-SW ridge in pasture, with gently-sloping land to the NE and SW, and a steeper gradient elsewhere. Indicated as an elongated oval with an irregular stepped SE side on the 1842 ed. of the OS 6-inch map, and as a suboval area on the 1897 OS 25-inch plan and the 1920 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. Listed as ‘Ecclesiastical enclosure (possible)’ in the RMP (1996). Westropp (1913, 250-51) described this enclosure as a ‘much removed’, ‘large low ring-fort of earth and stones’, defined at the S largely by a ‘dry-stonework’ wall and ‘round the north semi-circuit’ by a bank (Wth 3.05-3.66m; H 1.83m) ‘faced with large stones in part’. The NW and SE edges of the enclosure ‘terraced up’ (H c. 1.22m). These enclosing elements had already been substantially reduced by the time of Sheehan’s (1982, 35) visit. An inspection in 1999 found this suboval ecclesiastical enclosure (c. 99m E-W; 83m N-S) to be defined at WSW-NW by a low bank (int. H 0.25m; ext. H 0.4-1m) of stone, gravel and earth. The rest of the edge was defined by a barely traceable scarp. A row (L 28m) of large boulders had been deposited on the edge at the E. Later rubble had been dumped on the enclosure bank at WSW-NW. From NNW to NNE a later field wall overlies or runs just inside the perimeter. In the S centre of the enclosure is a church (CL010-038002-), situated in the NW corner of a graveyard (CL010-038003-). Outside the E side of the graveyard is a broad curvilinear scarp (H 1m). A wayside cross (CL010-038004-) lies c. 90m to the NE where a trackway from the church met the main road.

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 5 April 2023

References

Westropp, T.J. 1913 Prehistoric remains (forts and dolmens) in the Corofin district, Co. Clare (no. 11). Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries 43, 232-60.