Ringfort - cashel

The National Monuments Service's description

In rocky elevated pasture, on a slight NE-facing slope, overlooked by higher ground on the W side. A roughly circular area (58m N-S; 53m E-W) defined by a partially collapsed stone wall (int. H 0.5m; ext. H 0.6m; Wth top 1.05m; Wth base 1.15m) NNW-NW and by a drystone field boundary elsewhere. The roughly coursed limestone wall is well preserved SE-SW with vertical sides and a flat top. Large rectangular slabs (c. L 1.5m; Wth 1.15m; T 0.3m) are visible towards the base of the wall in places along this section. Remains of a facing of stone slabs (max. Wth 1.8m; max. H 1.05m) is evident along the external base of the wall SW-NW. The entrance (Wth 2.1m) is at WSW and is defined on either side by a large boulder (Wth 1m; H 0.6m). The interior is undulating with some small limestone outcrops, slopes slightly down to NE and is dry and clear of overgrowth. In the S half of the interior is a slightly raised trapezoidal area (24.4m NW-SE; 24m NE-SW) (SL041-020002-) defined by a limestone rubble wall (int. H 0.55m; ext. H 0.85m) on the W, N and E sides and by the cashel wall on the S side. There are no visible remains of the 'furnace bottom' in the centre of the N wall of the trapezoidal area which was recorded during a previous site inspection in 1993 (SMR (1989) file). A D-shaped annexe (dims. 14m NE-SW) (SL041-020004-), with a straight SW side (L 11m), defined by a sod-covered stone wall (int. H 0.4; ext. H 0.45), is attached to the external side of the cashel wall at NE. It has a possible entrance at W at is junction with the cashel wall. A relict field boundary wall abuts the external face of the cashel wall at SSW. There is a souterrain (SL041-020003-) 30m to N.

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