Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On a low NE-SW rise in fairly level pasture. Hachured on the first edition (1842) of the OS 6-inch map and both hachured and named ‘Lisduff’ on the OS 25-inch plan (1897) and the Cassini edition (1920) of the OS 6-inch map. Named ‘Lios Dubh’ on Robinson’s map of the Burren (1977). Listed as ‘Enclosure’ in the RMP (1996). This well-preserved subcircular, bivallate cashel (int. dims. 51m E-W; 43m N-S; max. ext. dims. c. 64m E-W; c. 60m N-S) is defined by a double-faced, inner wall (Wth 2.2-4m; int. H 0.8-1.6m; ext. H 1.4-2m), an outer bank (Wth 4.6m; int. H 0.5m; ext. H 1m) and an intervening berm (av. Wth c. 4m). The substantial, hazel-covered wall is well-built of horizontally laid stones (L c. 0.6m; H 0.3m) with a batter on the outer face all around and on the inner face at S. At S, the outer wall-face appears to have been rebuilt. From SSW-W, the wall is badly overgrown and the inner face has collapsed inwards. There is some collapse (Wth 2m at N) outside the wall in several places and from N-ENE the outer wall-face has collapsed. Later drystone walling is built on the outer face from WNW-N and on the inner wall-face at SE.

The stone-strewn outer bank generally has a drystone wall built on top of it and at N, the top of the bank is covered by a layer (Wth 1.4m; H 0.4m) of stones. Just inside the bank here is a depression (D 0.4m) which may be the result of digging. At E the bank is reduced to a scarp (Wth 4.3m, H 1.2m) with a wall foundation (Wth 1.3m) at its top edge. This wall may be original and is traceable at several other places along the bank. There is a stone spread (diam. 3.5m; H 0.5m) 7m outside the bank at W.

The cashel entrance passage (Wth 2.6m) is at ENE, and is lined across the berm by rough walling (Wth 1.6m) of quite large stones. Where it passes through the cashel wall, the entrance’s sides are uneven and disturbed. In the interior, large cairns (Wth c. 3-4m) abut the inner wall-face at W and from WNW-N. These may be the remains of a terrace or the result of collapsed wall stones being heaped there. Most of the cashel interior is covered in grass, with two broadleaf trees growing at the centre.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Conn Herriott

Date of upload: 20 July 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.