Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, on the former deer park of Cahir Guillamore demesne and 225m W of a townland boundary with Rockbarton. Within southern portion of field system (LI031-041001-). Not depicted on OSi historic maps, depicted on OSi 5k map as a roughly circular-shaped enclosure (diam. 31m). According to Dowd (1896, 80), this enclosure forms part of an extensive settlement that 'have been assumed to be the foundations of extensive buildings, and modern work refers to them as being “the remains of an ancient city of great extent”. Upstanding monument identified as a circular-shaped enclosure on aerial image and annotated on key to aerial image (Ó Ríordáin and Hunt 1942, 40-41; Figures 1 and 2, Fort 2). Ó Ríordáin and Hunt (ibid, 41) described this monument as following: 'it has stone banks and is 27 yards (25m) in internal diameter'. Monument is visible as a roughly circular-shaped enclosure standing in centre of earthworks which appears to be the remains of a deserted medieval settlement. Monument clearly visible on OSi orthoimages taken 2005-2012, on Digital Globe orthoimages taken 2011-2013 and on Google Earth orthoimage taken 20/09/2020.

See attached Google Earth orthoimage, aerial photograph with enclosure encircled and marked 5, aerial image (Ó Ríordáin & Hunt 1942, 40) marked Figure 1 and key to aerial image marked Figure 2 (Fort 2).

Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly

Date of upload: 5 November 2020

References

Ó Ríordáin, S. P. & Hunt, J. 1942 Mediaeval dwellings at Caherguillamore, Co. Limerick. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 37-63.

Dowd, J. 1896 Round about the County of Limerick. Limerick. G. McKern & Sons.