Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In elevated semi-karst pastureland, with wide views from SE to SW and a cliff-face c. 107m to the NE rising up to the Slievenaglasha heights. Hachured on the 1842 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. Indicated and named ‘Cahermore’ on the 1897 OS 25-inch plan and the 1920 ed. of the OS 6-inch map. Marked and labelled ‘Cathair Mhór – double fort’ on Robinson’s (1977) map. This well-built subcircular bivallate cashel (int. dims. 28m E-W; 24.8m N-S) is defined by two concentric walls, with traces also of a possibly contemporary outer bank. The double-faced inner wall (Wth 2.6-4.15m; int. H 1.7-1.9m; ext. H 2.3-3.1m) is finely constructed of well-cut masonry blocks, with hammer-dressing observed on some blocks by Westropp (1913, 247). This wall is best preserved from NNW to NNE and from SSE to W. The outer wall-face is battered. Much of the wall’s core has been robbed, but there are traces of a terrace (Wth c. 1.5m; H c. 1m) along the E side of the inner wall-face. Westropp (1896, 366) appears to have found this terrace (Wth 0.55-1.22m; max. H 1.22m) surviving around more of the wall circuit. Running outside and parallel to the inner wall at a distance of 6.5-8.5m, the less well-preserved outer wall (diam. c. 55m E-W; c. 50m N-S; Wth 1.9-2.4m; int. H 0.3-0.8m; ext. H 0.3-0.9m) retains traces of its outer face at the N and S. A later field wall is built over the outer wall from NE to N, and an animal pen is built in the space between the inner and outer walls. Running parallel to and outside this outer wall at a distance of c. 11m is a grass-covered concentric bank (est. Wth c. 3m), which is most clearly visible from S to W on the OSi MapGenie orthophotography (2013-2018). Between the outer wall and this outer bank there are partly grass-covered traces of three/four radial walls, at the NE, SE, S and W. The entrance to the cashel does not survive. Westropp (ibid.) described it as being situated at the SE, and damaged but with its lintel (L 1.8m) still visible. The former location of the entrance (also indicated on the 1897 OS 25-inch plan and the 1920 ed. of the OS 6-inch map) is suggested by a stone-lined trackway running SE from this side of the inner wall. There is a souterrain (CL010-073002-) in the W of the slightly uneven interior. There are two nearby fulachtaí fia: one (CL010-150----) c. 50m to the SSE and the other (CL010-151----) c. 140m to the SE.

The following images have been uploaded:
CL010-073----_01.jpg Aerial view from SE (photo: Archaeological Survey)
CL010-073----_02.jpg Drawing (Westropp 1896, 365)

Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 23 May 2023

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. 1896 Prehistoric stone forts of northern Clare, parts I & II. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries 26, 142-58, 362-9.

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.