Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In upland pasture, on a fairly level terrace at the base of a precipitous W-facing ridge slope in the Bricklieve Mountains. The W edge of the terrace has a naturally raised rocky lip that hides the cashel from view and an undulation in the ridge slope shelters the cashel at SE and S. A broadly oval area (19.6m NW-SE; 16.5m NE-SW) defined by a collapsed stone wall (Wth 1.8m; H 0.6m) of large limestone slabs and boulders, largely sod-covered. The wall is low and dilapidated. At SE where it backs on to rising ground it has a pronounced internal slump but barely rises above the external ground level. The interior is level but a scattering of sod-covered stones produces an uneven surface. There is an entrance feature at NE in the form of a passage (L 2m) flanked by large stones, that narrows from interior (Wth 2.2m) to the exterior (Wth 1m). A possible hut site (SL040-085003-) projects from the external face of the cashel wall at NE. There is a hut site (SL040-085004-) 2m to E; an enclosure (SL040-085005-) abuts the cashel wall at W. Another enclosure (SL040-085001-) is on a lower terrace on the same slope c. 100m to NW.

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