Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

Internal diameter 29.6m N-S
This site is situated on a rise with the land gently sloping NE. A trackway runs immediately W of it. This site is marked on the 1841-42 OS map as a circular enclosure and 'cave' is marked in the interior; on the later edition map of 1915-16 the W section of the fort has been levelled. Today this site consists of a semi-circular bank constructed mainly of stones, within which are the remains of a collapsed souterrain. Enclosing the inner bank on the N and E side is a three-pointed enclosure that could possibly suggest later remains. The internal area measures 30m N-S; the E-W measurements could not be taken. The external height of the bank measures .8m, the internal height of the bank above the interior c .8m and the width of the bank at the base c 3m. In the NE sector of the interior, three stone-lined depressions are evident, the remaining chambers of the souterrain (KE009-001002-): they measure 4m x 2m, 3m x 3.4m and 8m x 1.4m. W of these collapsed chambers is an elongated mound measuring 6m x 3m.
A slight fosse is to be noted to the NE 1m-2m wide. An outer bank at this section runs for 20m and is 2m wide and .4m high above the fosse. At a distance of c 8m from this bank is the three-pointed enclosure already mentioned. The external height of this three-pointed bank above the surrounding land is .3m, the internal height .2m, and the width of the bank at its base is 2m. It runs from the N through E to SE where it curves into the inner bank.

The above description is derived from C. Toal, ‘North Kerry Archaeological Survey’. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority (1995), no. 806. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 3 August 2013