Ringfort - rath

The National Monuments Service's description

National monument No. 663. The most northerly site in a group of 23 monuments (LI048-034007-/042-) located on the 'Supposed Site of Temair Erann', which was the ancient cemetery of the Ernai tribe on Slievereagh (Sliabh Riabhach) (Westropp 1919, 9; Westropp 1917-19, 179; Westropp 1918, 111). The ringfort stands inside a large field system (LI048-034001-) on the W facing slope of Slievereagh, an outlying peak of the Ballyhoura Mountains, and is known locally as the 'mote of Parkeenard'. It lies on poorly drained land 70m S of a small stream running through a ravine known as Glounacroghera or 'Hangman's Glen'. This group of mouments are located on steep W facing slope of rising ground with commanding views over east Limerick.
The ringfort was described by Westropp as following; 'The next earthwork (I) farther to the north is called "the mote of Parkeenard"; the outer ring is 9 feet [2.75m] thick, the fosse 10 feet [3m] wide, the garth 42 feet [12.8m] across; the ring to the north-east is fairly perfect' (Westropp 1916-17, 466).
Listed as Ringfort No. 11 by Ó Ríordáin (1940, 85) who excavated the monuments on this hillside between 1934-5. This site was not excavated and was described by Ó Ríordáin as 'the largest and best preserved of all the Cush earthworks. It had two ramparts with the suggestion of a third (inner)' (1940, 133). In 1998 the field containing the monument was purchased by the state along with an access route from the public road to the NW where a public parking area was constructed under licence no. 98E0392. Outline of circular-shaped ringfort clearly visible on Digital Globe aerial photograph and on aerial photographs taken in 1971 (CUCAP BGK051).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 28 May 2018

This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 34/1934).

References

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. 1916-17 On certain typical earthworks and ring walls in Co. Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 33C, 9-42, 444-92.

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. 1940 Excavations at Cush, Co. Limerick (1934 and 1935). Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 45, 83-181.

Westropp, T.J. 1917-19 The Earthworks, Traditions, and the Gods of South-Eastern Co. Limerick, Especially from Knocklong to Temair Erann. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature 34, 127-183.

Westropp, T.J. 1918 Temair Erann, an Ancient Cemetery of the Ernai on Slievereagh, County Limerick. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquities of Ireland, 111-20.