Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

Internal diam. 11.6m N-S, 16.3m E-W
Caher/An Chathair: This oval-shaped site is located on the S facing slopes of Bentee mountain, overlooking the valley of the Oghermong river to W. The enclosing element is severely denuded and overgrown, and is best preserved along its N sector. Exposed portions reveal that the bank is of stony composition, with large boulders forming the lower courses. At its uphill, N side it measures 1.1m high externally, 1.5m high internally and 4.3m in basal width. Much overgrown stone collapse abuts the barely traceable wall in the site's S sector.

The remnants of an oval-shaped drystone hut (KE079-090002-), marked 'Cloghaun (site of)' on the second edition of the OS map, are located in the S half of the site's interior. It measures 5.3m x 4.2m internally, and its walls average 1m thick. Just SE of the hut is an 8m long trench, aligned NW-SW, which probably represents a dug-out section of the souterrain (KE079-090003-) marked 'Cave' on the OS maps. A short stretch of well-preserved drystone masonry is preserved at the NE side of the trench.

The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 600. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 29 July 2013