Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

On a knoll, from which the ground slopes gently down to E and more steeply down to S and W. An oval area (int. diam. c. 31m E-W; c. 24m N-S) defined by the remains of two collapsed stone walls. The inner wall is evident NW-SE as a grass-covered spread of stones (Wth 5.3m; int. H 0.2m; ext. H 0.3m) with traces of inner stone facing at NW and SE. Elsewhere the interior is defined by a scarp (H 0.4m) with a short stretch (L 3m) of stone facing along the SW arc. Remains of an outer wall are evident N-SE as a grass-covered spread of stones (Wth 2.7m; int. H 0.2m; ext. H 0.7m). A single inner and outer facing stone at N give an estimated original wall thickness of 1.9m. There is a field boundary wall on the line of the outer cashel wall SSE-SSW and another to W of the cashel. A section of both inner and outer walls has been removed at NE due to the construction of a three-roomed rectangular stone-built structure (largest room 7m NE-SW; 2.2m NW-SE), with its walls now reduced to grass-covered spreads of stones. There is a possible souterrain (SL020-133002-) in the SW quadrant of the interior. A midden (D 0.4m), evident in section through the inner cashel wall at E was noted during a previous site inspection in 1992 (SMR (1989) file). There are cultivation ridges immediately to NW of the cashel, overlying the line of the outer cashel wall at NW. There is a small rectangular field immediately to SW of the cultivation ridges. There is a disused quarry c. 20m to N of the cashel.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005).

Date of upload: 18 January 2008