Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

National Monument No. 10036. Internal diam. 25m. Cathair Fionnúrach is one of a series of cashels and isolated clochauns which occupy the lowermost, W slopes of Brandon mountain. It overlooks the level plain drained by the Feohanagh river but the outlook from the site extends W as far as the Blasket islands. The circular cashel wall is preserved to a maximum height of 1.7m and varies in width from 2.8 to 3.6m. Plans and sections by Westropp (1902, 675) and the OPW (n.d.) indicate up to 3 terraces on the inner face of the wall at E. The presence now of only 1 terrace, for a short stretch along the upper section of the wall face, suggests that either the wall beneath has been rebuilt or that the earlier drawings are incorrect. Portion of the external face and rubble core of the wall have been removed at SE and S and a trackway now skirts this section. In the earlier drawings 2 chambers are shown within the thickness of the wall in this destroyed section. They opened onto the inner face, but the openings have now been blocked up and there is no trace of their location. A small rectangular niche occurs in the NW section of the inner face, .35m above ground level. The entrance passage leading into the enclosure from W is 2.2m wide externally narrowing to 1.5m internally. It is provided with two jamb stones, .8 and .9m high, set at right angles to the side walls at about their mid-point. A slight trench, .2m deep, running inside the cashel wall is probably part of a recent attempt to drain the interior.
A pair of conjoined huts are preserved in the interior to a maximum height of 1m. The larger hut is 6.5m in diameter and the entrance is in direct line with that of the main enclosure. Westropp noted a paved pathway leading between the two, but only 3 kerbstones are now visible. The remainder may be preserved beneath the thick deposit of slurry which has accumulated in the interior. The smaller hut is 4.5m in internal diameter. It can be entered from the 1st hut but also has an independent entrance at S.
A recess at the base of the ENE wall of the smaller hut formerly provided access to a souterrain which is now blocked. The OPW drawing shows a passage extending 9 feet (2.7m) from this opening towards the centre of the hut. Three steps then descend to a large chamber running at right angles to the passage. This is 20 feet (6m) long, 5 feet (1.5m) wide and 10 feet (3m) high. According to Curran (no. 12), the walls were of drystone construction and inclined inwards towards the flagged roof.

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 547. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 7 August 2013

References

Westropp, T.J. 1902 The ancient forts of Ireland: being a contribution towards our knowledge of their types, affinities and structural features. Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy 31, 579-730.