Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Hillfort
Knockainy West, County Limerick, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Knockainy West
- County
- Limerick
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 52.48089, -8.47551
- SMR number
- LI032-139----
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
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1790 "Composite: Ireland." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
The presence of a rampart on the W side of Knockainy Hill and which may have formed part of the enclosing element of a hillfort was described by O'Kelly (1944, 21) as following; 'Between the 300' and 400' contour lines on the W. slope of Knockainy, there is a bank which runs round the hill almost parallel to them. It is of earth and stones and parts of it have the appearance of the bank of a fort or that of an ancient fence, but at other points where the stones are clearly visible, it looks like a modern wall. Both ends of it fade into modern walls. This slope of the hill was at one time a plantation of trees and was cut off from the rest of the hill by stone walls. The plantation is practically gone and so are the walls, but it is possible that what now looks like an ancient bank is merely the remains of one of these walls. On the east shoulder of the hill there is a run of ancient fence, which lies between the 400' and 500' contours, but is not parallel to them, and though it is possible that it is part of the hill fort, it seems more likely to be just one of the many ancient field fences which abound on this slope of the hill'.
In 2004 a section of a rampart on the N side of Knockainy Hill possibly belonging to a hillfort was described as following: 'Some scholars suspect that a hillfort is present among the monuments on Knockainy Hill, but no remains have yet been positively identified. Possible ramparts may also be part of old field systems that can be traced on the hill. Aerial survey carried out by the North Munster Project in 1994 identified a possible portion of a rampart on the northern side of the hill. This feature has recently been levelled' (Condit and Coyne 2004).
Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien
Date of upload: 07 August 2019
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.
Condit, T. and Coyne, F. 2004 Knockainy Hill - a ceremonial landscape in County Limerick. Archaeology Ireland. Heritage Guide No. 27.
Nearby in the register
- Cursusunder 1 mi
- Barrow - ring-barrowunder 1 mi
- Barrow - ring-barrowunder 1 mi
- Barrow - ring-barrowunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.