Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In rough pastureland on a prominent rocky knoll located at the S end of a NW-SE running ridge and overlooking Streamstown Bay to the S. This small degraded roughly circular cashel (18.5m N-S; 17.2m E-W) is defined by a low grassed-over rubble bank (max. Wth c. 2m; H 0.4m). No clear traces of the inner or outer wall-faces are evident. A rock-cut fosse (Wth c. 3m) is visible around about one third of its E half. It has been cut through the slope of the ridge to its E, giving the monument a more defensive look. The base of the fosse is c. 2.5m lower than the interior of the cashel and c. 1.5m below the ridge. A partially curving entranceway (Wth 2.2m), the base of which is now constricted by a short stretch of walling, is visible at N. Internally the E half of the cashel is 0.5m below the level of the W half. Faint traces of wall-footings may be the remains of possible house sites. An oval depression (3m by 2m) is also visible. The cashel overlooks small valleys immediately to its N and S. Material from its external wall-face is visible intermittently on the steep S and W slopes of the ridge. It is likely that the enclosing wall was also extensively robbed out to provide building material for the nearby ruined farmhouses, tracks and field walls to its SE. Another cashel (GA022-070----) lies c. 360m to its SW and there is a rath (GA022-066----) c. 235m to its E. It is possible that this cashel may be one of two noted by Petrie (1972, 253) but see GA022-071---- and GA022-071001-. This monument was brought to the attention of the Archaeological Survey of Ireland by Mr Michael Gibbons.

Compiled by: Olive Alcock with information supplied by Mr Michael Gibbons

Date of upload: 1 March 2021

References

Petrie, G. 1972 An essay on military architecture in Ireland previous to the English invasion. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 72C, 219-69.