Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

Cashel described by Cuppage (1986, 191-2, no. 546) as follows; 'Cahernagat/Cathair na gCat: A roughly circular univallate ringfort situated on the W slopes of Reenconnell below the pass between the latter and Lateevemore. Gallarus oratory (839) is located only about 50m to W and the Saint's road passes less than 100m to E. The site is very overgrown and considerably disturbed. Much of the interior is occupied by the ruins of a pair of conjoined hut-sites and a possible souterrain which is now inaccessible. A laneway and field wall have been constructed along the S and E sides of the site respectively, and the enclosing bank, in the SE half, is marked only by a slope down from the base of these walls to the interior of the site. The NW half of the bank is c. 4 to 7m wide and c. I to 1.5m high externally. There are traces of an external fosse, c. 2.5m wide and 0.3m deep, along the N sector. It is not clear whether the stony nature of the bank indicates that it was originally a stone wall or whether it was a mainly earthen bank, revetted with drystone masonry. The name of the site would suggest the former.
Hut sites: Two circular stone huts, their walls now reduced to banks of stone collapse up to 1.3m high. The NE structure is c. 5.3m in diameter internally and the SW only c. 3.8m. There is no evidence for entrances.
Souterrain: A 0.5m square aperture, on the present crest of the enclosing bank at NNE, provides a restricted view of what appears to be an L-shaped, drystone-built souterrain passage. The opening is in the roof of the passage immediately above the junction of the 2 sections which are aligned NE-SW and SE-NW. The walls are c. 0.5m high and are capped by at least 2 slabs. Each section of passage extends for only 1m before being blocked'.

References

Cuppage, J. 1986 Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne.