Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Ringfort - cashel
Knockfennell, County Limerick, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Knockfennell
- County
- Limerick
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Hachured (1927)
- Coordinates
- 52.52264, -8.53294
- SMR number
- LI032-014006-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1790 map "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1904 · Sheet 13. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
In rocky pasture on the W summit of Knockfennell Hill overlooking and adjacent to Lough Gur 200m to SE, with panoramic views in all directions. The field system (LI032-014001-) with cultivation ridges abuts and surrounds the cashel. Two enclosures (LI032-183\338----) are located 185m and 285m to NE; two hut sites (LI032-014007/8-) are located 140m to E; a ring cairn (LI032-014009-) is located 350m to ENE and a ringfort (LI032-014003-) is located 185m to S.
The cashel is not depicted on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map but is depicted on the 1897 ed. OSi
25-inch map as a circular embanked enclosure (int. dims. 30m N-S; 36m E-W) with an external rock cut fosse (Wth 5m) on the S side. The cashel is visible on OSi orthoimages taken 2005-12 and on Digital Globe orthoimages taken 2011-2013. Identified as a cashel or stone fort by O’Kelly (1944, 47), Ó Ríordáin (1954, 458) and O’Kelly (1978, 27). Inspected by the ASI when it was described as ‘a broad oval flattish outcropping area (ext. dims. 44m N-S; 34m E-W) demarked by the base of a stone bank’ situated on ‘the SW end of Knockfennell Hill’. Old ‘field boundaries and ridges’ are noted to the NE. One of the later field boundaries (LI032-014001-) is located bisecting the interior of the cashel orientated E-W suggesting that the field system and cultivation ridges are later than the cashel. The cashel is visible on oblique aerial photographs (CUCAP APC080) taken 14/07/1966 and on Google Earth orthoimages taken 05/04/2006; 10/03/2016; 28/06/2018 and 20/09/2020.
See attached Cambridge Aerial photos APC080 and Google Earth orthoimages
Compiled by: Edmond O’Donovan
Date of upload: 4 November 2020
References
O'Kelly, M.J. 1944 A survey of the antiquities in the barony of Small County, Co. Limerick. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 4, 16-53.
O'Kelly, M.J., and O'Kelly, C. 1978 Illustrated guide to Lough Gur, Co. Limerick. Cork. Author.
CUCAP - Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Unit for Landscape Modelling, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge. See:https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com
Ó Ríordáin, S.P. 1954 Lough Gur excavations: Neolithic and Bronze Age houses on Knockadoon. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 56C, 297-460.
Nearby in the register
- Field systemunder 1 mi
- Enclosureunder 1 mi
- Ringfort - rathunder 1 mi
- Hut siteunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.