Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, located on the S boundary of the townland on a rise, in an area of relatively lowlying grassland. A small lake is located c. 250m to N, beyond which is a ridge of higher ground.
Broadly oval, substantially raised area (c. 37m E–W; c. 42m N–S) defined by a stone-faced earthen scarp. At the wall base, is a broadly sloping, sod-covered terrace or berm-like feature (Wth 4.5m, top 2m; H 1.4m). This appears to be earthen but has a stony spread, probably wall tumble, on the surface.
The external face of the enclosing wall is well-constructed of medium and large-sized blocks of stone, and rises to a height of 1.5-2m. At SSE a section of the wall is lower (H 1m) and more crudely constructed. At W a portion (L 6m) of the wall face has collapsed.
Internally, the wall is not intact, but has collapsed to a partly sod-covered, broad tumble (Wth 3-5m) of stones. On the W half this has an internal height of 0.5-1m but on the E half is evident merely as a low spread of stones more or less flush with interior ground level.
There is a break (Wth 0.6m) in the wall at NE, and another break (W 2m) in the inner wall face at SW, which has been blocked externally by later walling.
The interior has a gentle slope down to SE in the E half. At the SSE–S there is a drop (H 1.1m) in the interior ground level marked by a short length of stone-faced scarp (H 1.1m). A meandering, elongated heap (Wth 2-5m; H 0.6m) of stones extends for several meters through the W half of the interior on a roughly S–NW trajectory; it is partly obscured by overgrowth. A collapsed souterrain (MA062-097001) on a roughly NW–SE extends through the centre of a slightly raised roughly rectangular area in the SE quadrant.
A field wall/property boundary crosses the cashel on a NNE–SSW axis. At NE–SSW the townland boundary coincides with the enclosing wall of the ringfort. A thicket of blackthorn and hazel covers much of the interior; the perimeter is ringed with hawthorn.
This appears to be a cashel but the raised interior is a rather unusual for a cashel. It is difficult to determine how much of the walling represents later modification.
A rath (MA062-096----) is located 70m to NNE.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 10 December 2020