Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In former deerpark, on the demesne lands of Cahir Guillamore House (LI031-041019-) located 800m to N. Earthworks belonging to the medieval village (LI031-041009-) of Cahirguillamore located immediately to N-E-S. Medieval house site (LI031-041012-) 70m to N, historic road (LI031-041028-) immediately to E. Site of castle (LI031-041015-) 275m to E. Not depicted as an antiquity on OSi historic maps where it is depicted as a tree-plantation. Outline of monument clearly visible on OSi orthophoto taken 2005-12 where it is visible as a polygonal or D-shaped (dims. c. 26m N-S x 28m) area with straight side (L. 28m) at E enclosed by a well preserved grass-covered stone wall. Outline of monument visible on Google Earth orthophotos taken 20/09/2020, 28/06/2018 and 16/03/2016 where possible traces of an external fosse are visible. Straight side of enclosing feature at E clearly visible on Google Earth orthophoto taken 04/04/2013.
Possible cashel described in 1840 as an irregular-shaped area enclosed by a ‘wall of uncemented stone-work, about 126 paces [c. 96m] in circumference; but its form is not circular some of its sides being right lines connected by curves, altogether forming an irregular outline. Some of the stones of this latter wall are very large. The space inside both is thickly planted with trees of various kinds. It is possible that these walls of stone may have been formed with the stone of the original Caher which gave name to the townland’ (OSL Vol. 2, 97-8). Monument described by Ó Ríordáin and Hunt (1942, 41) as ‘Fort C’, consisting of ‘an irregularly circular bank, surrounding some trees, is shown. This may be, as the map marking suggests, a modern feature, but the raised interior and general appearance incline us to the belief that it also is a ring-fort’. Possible cashel which may have been reused as a landscape feature/tree-plantation associated with the landscaping of the demesne lands of Cahir Guillamore House.

Compiled by: Fiona Rooney

Date of upload: 15 March 2021

References

OSL - Ordnance Survey Letters. Letters written by members of the Ordnance Survey's 'Topographical Department' (T. O'Conor, A. O'Curry, E. Curry, J. O'Donovan and P. O'Keeffe) sent to headquarters from the field (1834-41). MSS in Royal Irish Academy.

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1929 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Limerick collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1841. Bray

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