Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, 45m E of townland boundary with Mitchelstowndown North and 120m SW of stream that flows SW into the Morningstar River. Knockaunatarriff (OD 443 ft. OD) lies 270m to the S. Immediately E of possible cashel (LI041-013005-) and N of two roads (LI041-013010/013-). Depicted on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map as a raised circular-shaped platform defined by a scarp. Shown on the 1897 ed. OSi 25-inch map a raised roughly D-shaped platform (dims. c. 38m NW-SE; 37m NE-SW) defined by a scarp NE-E-S-W-N.
Possible conjoined cashels described by Westropp (1917-19, 173) as the eastern one of the ‘Óenach
Clochair mounds’ (LI041-013005-/007-) which are ‘each somewhat D-shaped in plan, 5ft. [1.5m] high, surrounded by a fosses 12ft. [3.6m] wide, with a cross ditch 9ft. [2.7m] wide below, dividing them. The western platform [LI041-013005-] is 60ft. [18m] across E. and W. by 54ft. [16.4m] N. and S., the eastern 78ft. [23.7m] and 81ft. [24.6m]. They were walled with large dry masonry nearly all removed, and the fosse had an outer ring remaining to the south beside which is a hollow down to an old pond [LI041-013004-].’
In 1960 a survey by Stenberger (1966, 38) listed this conjoined earthwork as ‘Site III’ which consisted ‘of two platform structures situated close to each other and orientated roughly east-west. The eastern platform is oval in shape, with axes measuring 40m and 42m respectively and is approximately of the same height as the western one [LI041-013005-].’ Partially levelled monument visible as a circular cropmark intersected at SE by a linear cropmark running NE-SW and at S by a modern trackway running roughly E-W, giving access to farm shed on Digital Globe orthoimage taken between 2011-13 and on Google Earth orthoimages.

See attached plan of enclosures (LI041-013005-/007-) taken from Westropp (1919), contour plan of Tumuli and enclosure (LI041-013006-) taken from Stenberger (1966)
and Google Earth orthoimages.

Compiled by: Fiona Rooney

Date of upload: 28 July 2021

See attached ASI aerial photographs ASIAP – 318/16 taken on 05/10/2002. 343/20 on 05/01/2003.

References

Stenberger, M. 1966 A ringfort at Raheenamadra, Knocklong, Co. Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 65C, 37-54.

Westropp, T.J. 1919 The ancient places of assembly in the counties Limerick and Clare. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 49, 1-24.

Westropp, T.J. 1916-19 The later Pagan sanctuaries of Co. Limerick. Journal of the North Munster Antiquarian Society 4, 3, 157-83.

ASIAP - Archaeological Survey of Ireland Aerial Photographs (c. 1996 - c. 2010).