Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On a W-facing slope in mixed rough pasture and exposed limestone pavement and within a field system (CL017-180----). Hachured on both the first (1842) and Cassini (1920) editions of the OS 6-inch map. This subcircular cashel (46.4m N-S; 42m E-W) is defined by a stone wall (Wth 1.4-1.6m; H 0.4-1m) and associated collapse (combined Wth c. 4-5m). Westropp (1905, 216) found the wall of this ‘massive caher’ standing up to eight feet (c. 2.4m) high in places. The outer wall-face is traceable almost all around. There is an entrance (Wth 0.8m) at SSE, on the upslope side of the cashel, with a large stone (L 1.4m; H 0.9m) in the wall on the entrance’s W side. A 4m-long stretch of the wall at E has been rebuilt (Wth 1-1.2m; H 2m). A natural bedrock step (H 1.6m) runs N-S through the cashel, raising the W edge of the interior over the rest. Overlying the wall at NE is a later house (CL017-014002-). Against the inner face of the cashel wall at SW is an animal pen (8m NW-SE; 7m NE-SW) defined by a collapsed drystone wall.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 17 July 2023

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.