Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In rough grazing broken by a rock outcrop, atop a NE-SW ridge. This stone fort, known as Knockdrum, is defined by a circular area (Diam. 22.5m) enclosed by a drystone wall (H 2m; Wth 3m), which was repaired before 1860 (Somerville 1931, 1; see plan opposite page 2). The wall was laid directly on the rocky ground surface. The entrance is to the ENE (Wth 1.4m), and there is a sentry chamber on its N side, roughly rectangular in plan (Wth c. 1.22m; L c. 1.52m; H c. 1.37m). It has a corbelled roof of dry masonry, supporting a large slab. The foundations of a rectangular structure (int. L 5.2m; int. Wth 5.1m) are located off centre to the W. Within the fort are a souterrain (CO142-07002-), cup-marked stone (CO142-070005-) and cross-inscribed slab (CO142-070003-). A second slab with cupmarks (CO142-070004-) lies outside the entrance.

This is a National Monument in State Ownership (no. 284)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

Photographs attached:
CO142-070001-_01: Aerial view of fort from NW
CO142-070001-_02: Aerial view from N.
CO142-070001-_03: Aerial view from W.

References

Somerville, B.T. 1931 “The fort” on Knock Drum, West Carbery, County Cork. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 61, 1-14.