Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In rough mountainous terrain, on a steep ESE-facing slope. Views are limited by higher ground SW-NW but excellent elsewhere. A roughly circular area (diam. c. 23.5m) enclosed NNW-SE by a substantial drystone wall (Wth 1.5m; int. H 2m; ext. H 0.6m), incorporating some large stones and boulders, with remains of an internal and external revetment. This section of wall has been straightened in places where it is incorporated into a field boundary and at its base is a narrow lane. From SE-WSW, the cashel wall has been removed but its outline may still be traced albeit with difficulty. From WSW-NNW the cashel wall has been replaced by a modern wall with a N-S road immediately to W. A partially blocked-up break (Wth 2.2m) in the wall at N may represent the original entrance. The interior slopes down appreciably from WNW to ESE. At ESE a rectangular building (int. dims. 3.6m WNW-ESE; 1.95m NNE-SSW), probably a small dwelling or animal shelter, has been built through the thickness of the cashel wall and into the interior. A substantial WNW-ESE field boundary wall forms its SSW end wall. The entrance (Wth 1.4m) to this structure is through the cashel wall.

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