Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In rough, rocky pasture, interspersed with area of wet, boggy ground, situated on a low rise, with very good views in all directions. A ruined vernacular farmstead lies adjacent at W.
Raised circular area (c. 34m N–S; 33.4m E–W) enclosed by the remains of a substantial drystone wall. The wall has collapsed to a largely sod-covered, broad stone bank (Wth c. 6m; int. H 0.2-0.5m; ext. H 2m at NE, 2.5m at N), with a low internal lip and a pronounced external slump. Within the mass of stone tumble, intact sections of the external wall face can be seen at N and NE, surviving to just a few courses in height, and at SSE where a larger section (L 6m; H 1.6m) is preserved by a vernacular stone-built shed (3.2m NW–SE; 3.5m NE–SW), now ruined, which was built against the wall face. The original width of the wall is uncertain, possibly 2.5-3m wide.
A gap (Wth 2m) in the wall at SE, now partly blocked by boulders, may be an original entrance; a large stone on the N side of the gap may be part of an original facing.
The interior slopes down slightly from centre to S. A low sod-covered wall (Wth 0.4-0.6m; H 0.4m) crosses the interior centrally on a NNE-SSW axis. There is a small hollow (diam. c. 0.8m; D 0.4m), partly infilled with stones, in the NW quadrant.
A laneway, associated with the farmstead, skirts the cashel at W–NE, and later field walls abut the cashel wall at SE and S–SW.

Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy

Date of upload: 31 May 2021