Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

Internal diam. c. 18m
Not marked on the OS maps, very little now remains of this circular caher which is located on elevated pasture overlooking the Finglas river to E. The enclosing wall is reduced to a low sod-covered bank and is no longer extant in the SW sector. Intermittent facing slabs are vaguely discernible through the sod-cover elsewhere. The wall has maximum dimensions at NE where it measures .5m high externally, .1m high internally and is 2.3m wide. Two prominent upright slabs, 1.25m apart, mark the entrance at SE; that at N measures 1.12m x .8m x .4m and its partner opposite measures 1.2m x .6m x .3m. The interior of the caher is uneven.

This site appears to be the 'Caher' referred to by O'Connell, who recorded a large lintel on the inner side of its entrance (OPW). This may be the large stone which is now partly concealed beneath a low irregular mound of earth and gravel at this location. O'Connell also recorded two openings to a drystone-built souterrain (KE098-062001-) here. The first was located in the enclosing wall at S and gave access to a passage which extended 17 feet (5.2m) towards NNW, at which point it turned at right angles and continued to ENE for a further 10 feet (3m). Here, flooding prevented further access. The second opening was located 9m NNW from the first, and apparently gave access to a passage which extended to S. Neither of these openings are now apparent.

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

Date of upload: 29 July 2013