Castle - unclassified

The National Monuments Service's description

Internal diam. 24.5m N-S, 22.5m E-W
Cahercullaun/Cathair Coileáin: Situated on the lower W slopes of Ballysitteragh mountain about 40 to 50m N of a small tributary of the Milltown river. The site consists of a ruined cashel, with possible souterrain, which was modified and incorporated into later defensive works of unknown date.

Later Defensive Works: The cashel remains occupy the NE corner of a large rectangular enclosure measuring 73.5m E-W and 44m N-S. The SW section of the cashel wall is occupied by 2 large mounds of stone collapse, apparently the ruins of a gate-house tower. From the S side of the S mound a low bank extends 18.5m in a roughly W direction, terminating at a roughly circular structure, 3 to 3.25m in diameter, which is now reduced to a mound of stone collapse with a hollow centre. The only other feature visible on the site is a wedge-shaped structure which abuts the inner face of the N wall of the large enclosure. It measures 9m x 9m to 4m internally and the enclosing bank of earth and stone is .2 to .4m high.

The large mounds are up to 2.95m high and stand 1.7m apart, the ground between being slightly raised. The details provided in earlier accounts are slightly confusing, but it appears that these mounds are the remains of a gate-house tower which was added to the cashel at some later but undetermined date. The structure is named 'Tower (in ruins)' on the OS maps. In the OSNB (Dingle, book 2, 19) the gateway is described as 6 feet (1.8m) wide and 18 feet (5.5m) thick, and 2 perforated stones, for receiving the gate or door, were also noted. In the OSL mention is made of 'two fragments of walls of a military castle, 16 feet (4.9m) high and 7 feet (2.1m) thick and well grouted'. These are placed on the E side of the cashel, but as the gateway is not mentioned in this account it is probable that it is the 'tower' which is being described. Curran (no.76) visited the site in 1870 and was locally informed that the gateway had formerly been arched or lintelled over and that guard-chambers were present on either side. The OSNB account also mentions an arch. Chatterton (1839, 173-5) noted that the walls of the tower bulged at the base and that the remains of steps, leading to the top of the wall, were visible on the inner face.

The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 573. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 7 August 2013

References

Curran, J. 1907-33 Record of the Ancient Monuments on the Promontory of Dingle, Co. Kerry, unpublished ms. in OPW.

Chatterton, Lady G. 1839 Rambles in the south of Ireland in the year 1838, 2 vols. London. Saunders and Otley.

OSNB - Ordnance Survey Name Books. Pro-forma books arranged by Civil Parish for recording townland and other name-forms and compiled in the course of the OS 6-inch survey 1824-1841. The name books also include minor names and incidental references to antiquities. National Archives of Ireland.