Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

At the outer edge of a slight shelf on a N-facing slope in undulating pastureland. Hachured on the 1840 and 1916 eds. of the OS 6-inch maps. Described by Westropp (1905, 209-210) as ‘a well-built ringwall of excellent masonry … with the unusual features of several pairs of upright joints, each divided by a line of single blocks’ and it had ‘a bold batter’. Traces of a gateway were evident at E. The foundations of two hut sites were noted in the interior, one at NW, the other near the gate, and slight traces of ‘other enclosures’ were also evident.
This oval cashel (ext. dims. 45.2m N-S; 43.3m E-W) is defined by a stone spread best preserved from SW to N to E; from E to S it is less substantial (Wth 5m) and is flush with the interior. The outer wall-facing, reduced to one course, can be traced virtually all around it. A drystone field wall (H 1-2m) has been built over it from SW to N to E. On field inspection in 1998, the base-batter noted by Westropp (ibid.) was faintly visible but there was no trace of the gateway or the hut sites (CL016-094001-; CL016-094002-). Two field walls crossed the interior and met to the N of the centre. A wedge tomb (CL016-093----) is located c. 35m to the W.

The following image has been uploaded: CL016-094----_01.jpg Aerial view from SE

Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Lynda McCormack

Date of upload: 22 June 2022

References

Westropp, T. J. 1905 Prehistoric remains (Forts and Dolmens) along the borders of Burren, in the county of Clare. Part 1 – The Eastern Border. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, vol. 35, 205-29.