Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On a slightly raised, natural platform in rough pasture, on high ground (above the 500’ contour) at the E edge of an exposed limestone plateau, commanding panoramic views. Hachured as a circular enclosure on the first edition (1842) of the OS 6-inch map but depicted as subrectangular on the later OS 25-inch plan (1897) and Cassini edition (1920) of the OS 6-inch map. Listed as ‘Rectangular enclosure’ in the RMP (1996). This subrectangular cashel (int. dims. 28.5m NNE-SSW; 25.5m ESE-WNW; ext. dims. 34m NNE-SSW; 30m ESE-WNW) is defined by a stone wall (av. Wth c. 0.85m; av. ext. H c. 0.5m) and associated spill (combined Wth 1.8-2.6m) with outer facing in evidence all around, but of varying construction and states of preservation. On the N side, the wall (ext. H 0.2-0.6m) is overlain by a later, collapsed field wall. Along the E, the wall (Wth 0.85m; ext. H 0.3-1m) is generally built from rough, undressed flat slabs outside which the ground drops steeply (H 1.8m). On the S side, both inner (H 0.8m) and outer (H 0.4-0.9m) wall-facing stones survives. Large flags have fallen out of the wall near the centre of the S side, suggesting a possible stone-lined entrance, although one stone still standing here appears to be a modern feature. Along the W, the wall (ext. H 0.3-0.8m) has an intermittent, loosely built outer facing with a vertical joint near the N end. The grass-covered interior is generally flat and there are two small livestock pens in the NW corner (labelled ‘Sheepfolds’ on the OS 25-inch plan), and a grass-covered wall (L c. 10m) extends NNE-SSW through the S centre. Other grass-covered field walls radiate out from each corner of the cashel. There is a cairn (CL010-051002-) c. 53m to the SSW and a hut site (CL010-267----) c. 69m to the SW.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 31 March 2023