Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

Internal diam. 12.8m N-S, 14.4m E-W
The severely denuded remains of this circular caher are located in rough pasture on the lower SW slopes of Cahernageeha mountain, overlooking Darrynane Bay to S. The foundation courses of the wall, drystone-faced externally and internally, are largely concealed beneath sod-cover and are no longer traceable at E. The enclosing element is represented only by a stony band at S, where it retains a maximum external height on its downslope side of 1.5m. It has an average width of 1.6m. No definite features were identified in the caher's uneven interior.

An opening to a souterrain (KE106-049001-) is located in the bank of the caher at S. This measures .75m x .65m, and gives access to a lintelled passage with sides of earth which extends N for a distance of 3.3m; this is 1.15m high and .9m wide. Close to the entrance a vertically disposed slab, wedged between two roofing lintels, hangs down into the passage. At the W side of the N end of the passage is a short tunnelled creepway, .7m wide by .4m high, which leads into a large earth-tunnelled sub-rectangular chamber. Another small, tunnelled creepway was noted on the W side of this chamber, but access to it was not possible due to flooding.

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

Date of upload: 29 July 2013