Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

Internal diam. c. 15m E-W
This is one of a group of four cahers located towards the NE end of the Coomduff ridge, commanding far reaching views along the Cummeragh river valley to Lough Currane at SW. As a result of land clearance operations only the S sector of the site survives. The enclosing wall here is poorly preserved, however, and has largely collapsed downslope. Field clearance debris abuts its external face. The wall is 1.5m wide and survives to a maximum external height of 1.1m and an internal height of 1.8m. The interior of the caher contains a fill of field clearance material and stone collapse.

The outlines of two huts, located adjacent to one another, are discernable towards the centre of the site. That at W (KE089-038001-) survives as a semicircular arc of drystone walling, 1.9m wide, enclosing a slight hollow, 4m E-W. The second hut (KE089-038003-), circular in outline, has an internal diameter of 4.5m. Its wall survives .8m in maximum height and is 1.4m wide.
An opening to a largely collapsed souterrain (KE089-038002-) is located 1.3m SW of the second hut. Its drystone-built passage extends to N for 3m, where it turns to ESE for a further 2m. Here fallen roofing lintels block further access.

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. 576. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 29 July 2013